Single and Defective
by LillithBB
Summary: Hadley died of a drug overdose before she ever met Sophie-Ann, but now there are no vampires in Bon Temps to help Sookie when her brother is accused of murder. Can she find a way to help him with no Bill? Eric/Sookie eventually
1. Chapter 1

What if Hadley had never made it to Sophie-Ann? The poor girl was very messed up, and Sookie, Jason, and Gran were very sad to hear when she died of a drug overdose. Though none of them would ever say it, except perhaps Jason, that had always seemed like how it would end for her.

So this means, no one outside of Bon Temps has ever heard of Crazy Sookie Stackhouse and her disability. No vampires coming after her, no bonds to be made. Unfortunately for Sookie, she may not be known, but vampires are out of the coffin, and even Bon Temps can feel the effect.

A/N: I don't really intend for this to be a one shot, but I have had this scene stuck in for head for a while now. If I get any reviews at all, I will continue the story. Otherwise, I suppose it will depend on how much the rest of it bugs me since I will only be posting for myself :P

That being said, who doesn't love reviews? So feel free!

**As always, Charlaine Harris owns these characters, and I gain nothing from them other than a deep deserve to read about them.**

PS I have no beta, so I apologize ahead for any grievous errors

Not for the first time, Sookie wished that Jason would find some control and not sleep with every skirt that sauntered past him. But no, everyone knew about Jason and his women, and now some of those women were dead. Still, maybe it would do him some good, wizen him up a little.

Of course, she knew her brother had not done it, but there were not many other things that linked the two women. The bite marks certainly did. However, seeing as Bon Temps had never entertained a vampire, the police were having a hard time coming up with a suspect that fit the description, which left Jason.

She had been planning her trip to the vampire bar in Shreveport for several days now. If the police were going to do their jobs, then she would just have to do it for them. Who knew, maybe her disability would actually help her for once?

At first, the question of what to wear was a sticky one. Sookie did not own much black, and she certainly didn't think she could pull off any of those tight spandex numbers you saw on the TV. It was so rare that she even went out, that she decided to go ahead and dress it up. Choosing one of her "date" dresses which accentuated her in all the right places, she let her hair down and put on some shoes that were completely impractical but made her feel incredibly attractive as only a pair of heels can. Looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but think she had done a decent job of transforming from small town waitress to city girl. Still, she had to get past her Gran, so she grabbed an overly large white sweater, covering her bare arms and ample cleavage. The skirt was an acceptable length, so she could get away with that un-judged.

"Sookie, sweetheart, you look beautiful. What is the occasion?" Her Gran's genuine smile made Sookie feel beautiful.

"I am going to Shreveport for the evening to grab a drink." She had rehearsed this a couple times, keeping her face very serious. "I just can't sit around here, and half the people at Merlotte's think that Jason is guilty." She had not technically lied, and she prayed God would forgive her for leaving out some key details.

"I understand, Honey. Now you just be careful. I am not too keen on you going by yourself, but maybe being around strangers will help you relax. Just mind you don't have too many drinks."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Sam called while you were getting ready; he said you can come pick up your check."

"Alright…" Sookie hesitated a little, not sure if she could get by him quite as easily. "Well, I don't know how late I will be, so don't wait up for me!" Sookie spared a quick kiss on the cheek for her Gran before she swept out of the house. She felt a little silly in her pretty dress as she tucked herself into her piece of junk car, but she hoped no one would be paying attention to what she was driving.

Taking the sweater off before she went in to Merlotte's maybe have been a mistake as she felt the eyes of several patrons roving over her. She desperately tried to ignore the thoughts that were practically being shouted at her. She ignored her brother and his friends, focusing on Lafayette who took this opportunity to comment.

"You lookin' good, girl! Where you get that dress?" Nothing like having a gay man comment on how you look to give a girl a little confidence. Returning his smile, she waved her hand dismissively.

"I've had this forever." She was suddenly feeling very good about her outfit choice.

Sam took this moment to finally turn around behind the bar, almost dropping the glass he was drying. "Dear God Almighty…"

Sookie stifled the giggle that came bubbling up as Sam tried to recover by clearing his throat loudly. "Sookie, why don't you come on back with me?" He reddened a little at his words. "I mean, I have your check in my office." She followed him, sparing a moment for a hug from Rene and a peck on the cheek from JB.

Following Sam into the small room, she watched as he distractedly dug around for the check. However, he didn't hand it to her, instead coming back around the desk as if he needed to walk it to her.

"Are you going somewhere special?"

"Um, I am going to Shreveport for the evening."

"Alone?"

Sookie blushed at the implication of his single word question. "Yes, alone… I just need to get away for a bit." She tried the serious face she had pulled with Gran earlier, but she wasn't quite sure it worked.

"If you could just wait…" His eyes were suddenly very intense, and Sookie found a very interesting spot on the floor which required her full attention. "I could maybe go with you. It really isn't safe for you to be going out alone, especially looking like that." His hand ran down her arm, sending goose bumps across her skin.

"Sam!" She took a step back, suddenly very aware of the small office. He just grinned boyishly, but his eyes were very serious. "You know good and well you can't leave the bar unmanned." She decided to ignore his touch; she liked working at Merlotte's and didn't want to ruin it over some stupid dress.

"A man can dream, can't he?" His husky voice seemed to fill the void between them as he leaned in breathed deeply, closing his eyes as he took in scent.

"Sam Merlotte, what do you think you are doing?" His face was inches from her neck, and she could feel his breath tickling her as he exhaled.

"Just be careful, alright? I would hate to have to go to Shreveport and bust some heads." He handed her the check, and she didn't even say good-bye as she rushed out of the building towards her car. What on earth had that been all about?

The drive to Shreveport was uneventful as she badly sang along to the radio. Having gotten surprisingly good directions at the local gas station, she found Fangtasia with little trouble. As she parked, she could not help but laugh at the absurdity of the location next to a Toy-R-Us of all things. Still, it looked very bar-esque with its neon sign and gray/red color scheme.

The first vampire Sookie had ever seen asked for her driver's license. She was practically giddy as she took in the pale women who looked gorgeous despite the overly dramatic "vampire" look she had going on with her flowing black sleeves and corset.

"I haven't been carded in years." Sookie wanted to at least hear the woman's voice.

"I find I can no longer tell how old humans are, and we have to be so careful to not lose our license from… under age drinking." The vampire licked her lips suggestively after the last word as she actually looked at Sookie for the first time.

Usually, Sookie left people to their owns thoughts as much as humanly possible, but just this once she really wanted to know. Reaching out with her mind as she handed the woman her license, Sookie tried to discover what it was vampires thought about, but all she heard was silence. Sure, some people, like Sam, were not as clear as other, but she had never felt this void before.

"Holy shit…" she whispered fervently, staring at the vampire.

"What?" Two fangs clicked into place as the woman's eyes narrowed on Sookie, looking very much the predator.

Self survival kicked in, and Sookie wondered how many Sundays it would take before she could make up for all the half-truths that she was telling today. "I just… you are so beautiful." She blushed, feeling so silly saying it, but the woman took it to mean something else.

"Flattery will get you no where." The vampire's voice was flat, though her fangs were still out. Sookie could hear the angry thoughts of those behind her either at the attention she was getting or simply that she was now holding up the line. The vampire gave her one last look as she handed Sookie back her license. "Those, on the other hand," she looked pointedly at Sookie's chest and practically purred, "can open doors."

Sookie's blush deepened. "Yum…" The vampire seemed to be staring at her neck now. "Welcome to Fangtasia Miss Stackhouse, be careful of some of the patrons, they bite." Her tongue flicked to her still protruding fangs as Sookie made her way through the entrance, trying to calm her nerves and not look back at the female vampire.

Sookie was soon distracted by the "No Biting" signs and framed picture of every vampire ever cast, including some she did not recognize. The human element was no less bizarre, ranging from so-called fangbangers in all manner of odd clothing that reminded her of the vampire at the door to what seemed like tourists, some of them actually snapping pictures. Again she opened her mind to it all, disgusted by several of the thoughts that infiltrated her own mind, but she was surprised to find several more spots of nothingness among the cacophony of sex and wonder that filled the minds of those around her. Taking a moment to think on this very exciting new discovery, Sookie made her way towards the bar.

Having to press her way through, she could not help but notice how she stuck out, and she began to regret the outfit she had been so proud of. She obviously did not fit in with the black leather or velvet of the enthralled, but she also did not look like the tan shorts and Hawaiian shirted tourists who were thrilling seeking for the night. With a sigh, she settled her skirts around her appropriately as she sat on a stool.

The bartender sidled over, his straight black hair falling forward as he leaned on the bar in front of her. "What can I get for you pretty lady?" She was beginning to wonder if all vampires showed their fangs this much as his slid out. His smile made it feel less threatening than the woman outside, but she had to swallow all the same. "I would love a… gin and tonic?" She asked questioningly. Part of her knew they didn't just sell synthetic blood here, though she could see a display of it. This was a bar after all.

"My pleasure." The vocal purr seemed to be a vampire trait as well. It was odd to see a man who was obviously Native American look somehow pale.

When he returned with the drink, he did not set it down, holding it out to her instead. She raised an eyebrow at him but took the drink all the same, realizing his intention as their fingers touched. She gasped a little at how cold they were and not from the rocks in her drinks. His chuckle was throaty, and he seemed to be very pleased with himself.

Taking the opportunity of his continued attention, Sookie decided to get down to business. She took a long sip of her drink to steady her nerves. "Do you mind if I asked you a question?"

Now, it was his turn to raise a brow, but he began to nod slowly, leaning in closer. "You can ask me anything you like."

She hesitated again, knowing he had a very different idea of what her question might be even without being able to read his mind. Still, it had been an open invitation. _Start with something simple, Sookie._

"I never asked, what is your name?"

"You may call me Long Shadow." His fangy smile was making her uncomfortable. "And your name, or should I refer to you as beautiful." Yeah, he was laying it on thick.

"I'm Sookie, nice to meet you." Her Gran would be proud at her politeness.

She even offered her hand, but he just looked at it, almost confused. It would seem hand shaking was not a thing in the vampire world, noted. Finally, she pulled three photos from her small purse and laid them on the bar top.

"Have you seen these people?" He did look a little surprised but to his credit actually studied the pictures.

"The women have been here before, but I have never seen this man." He held up the picture, looking from it to Sookie. "You must be related… a brother perhaps?"

She did not like the way he said it, but nodded all the same. "Hmmm, the possibilities…"

It took all of her years of reading people's thoughts not to grimace at that, but she continued on before he became disinterested. "Do you know if there was someone in particular they spent time with while here?"

His eyes sharpened to points, and she felt her breath hitch. "No, and no one else here noticed either. No one," he said rather pointedly, "that comes here notices something like that."

"Ah." The people in Bon Temps may have thought she was crazy Sookie, but she was notice stupid Sookie. She knew this conversation was over. "I see. Thank you for answering my question and the drink."

He placed a finger on one of the pictures before she could slid it away; it was Dawn. "She wanted to die… I mean, more so than the rest of them." His eyes indicated those in the bar. "Of course, we are Death, so any who come to us willingly are simply asking for it."

His pupils seemed to dilate as he focused solely on her for what felt like a minute. Sookie began to get very uncomfortable at his expectant look. "Wouldn't you like to come to me later this evening?" His voice was surprisingly sultry, but Sookie could not believe the proposition.

"Excuse me, I don't know what you are accustomed to, but I am a lady, sir. I do not just hop in bed with every bartender who makes a good gin and tonic!" Her chin was held high even as a though of Sam slipped into her mind at that very odd moment.

He cocked his head to the side, staring at her intently though obviously puzzled as if he was trying to read her mind. "What are you?"

"What do you mean? I am just a waitress." She liked this look even less than his fangy smile. Without so much as a good-bye, she took the remains of her drink and retreated to a booth in a dimmer corner where she could not see his eye watching her. Something had obviously happened, and she had missed it somehow.

She downed the rest of the drink, taking a piece of ice between her lips as if it could cool her racing heart down. After steadying herself, she began to look around again. She needed to ask more people about Dawn and Maudette, but after the fiasco with Long Shadow, she had no idea how to go about doing it without pissing off more vampires. Tangled in her own thoughts, she couldn't help but notice a very striking man with a woman standing just behind him. His blond hair and pale skin was a beautiful contrast to the dark jeans and simple vest he wore as if they were made for him. The ensemble made him look like a model from the cover of some romance novel, though Sookie could not be sure whether he was playing the hero or the villain. There was no doubt in Sookie's mind that he was a vampire, and she found he frightened her a little.

She actually thought he might have been looking at her as well, but it was hard to tell in this light. Eventually, she noticed Long Shadow being summoned, though she tried not to stare as they had some furtive conversation. The blond dismissed the bartender with a flick of his wrist and then Sookie was sure he was staring at her. Immediately, her eyes went down to her empty glass which was suddenly very intriguing. The air around her seemed to be condensing. She had felt this earlier when Long Shadow had stared at her, but it hadn't been this strong. She was quickly becoming uncomfortable and regretting not taking Sam up on his offer when the feeling suddenly disappeared. She felt her mind relax though she hadn't known how tense she was until then.

A waitress approached her table with another gin and tonic. Sookie couldn't help but note how garbled the girl's thoughts were. Not quite like Sam's which always just felt like they were a different tune than she was used to, her thoughts just seemed muddled somehow.

"I'm sorry; I didn't order another." Sookie gave the girl a polite smile.

"It is from the owner." The waitress looked back towards the blond man. _Of course, he would own the freaking place. _Sookie was glad she had never heard of vampires who could read thoughts. Hell, she hadn't ever heard of anyone who could.

"Um, would you thank him for me?" She had not been in this situation before and had no idea what the proper etiquette was.

"He asked if you would join him. He would like to talk to you about the questions you had for Long Shadow."

She swallowed hard, wondering if she had gotten herself in trouble. Still, she did need to talk to someone else about the girls and the owner of the bar seemed like a good bet. "What the hell?" She took the drink with a smile, lifting it in his direction and then slammed in back in a few gulps before setting it back on the waitresses tray. She couldn't quite make out his expression, but it looked as if he might have laughed.

With determination, she rose, flattening out her skirt with her palms and made her way towards him. He held out his hand when she got close enough, and she stopped dead in her tracks, feeling uncomfortable but the odd separation, as if he was holding an audience. In fact, that is was he seemed like. Some lofty version of King Arthur without the round table. Sookie had to wonder if this was what normal girls felt like as he looked her over. Not knowing the exact intention of the look and every detail he took in, she felt oddly flattered by his appraisal.

He finally met her gaze, and his strikingly blue eyes pierced through her as she did a little study of her own over his strong feature and impeccable cheeks bones. Dear Lord, no one should look that good, and they definitely shouldn't know they do as he obviously did by the smirk that now covered his face at her own wandering eyes.

"Miss Stackhouse." The way he spoke made Sookie wonder what language he had originally spoken. Something about his cadence and a slight hint of an accent made her think it wasn't English.

"This is Pam, and my name is Eric. As I am sure Ginger told you, I am the proprietor of this establishment." He managed to sound bored by it all.

"Pleased to meet you both." She couldn't stop her hand from moving forward, though she quickly moved it to hold on to other wrist as if that were her intention all along and not a handshake. Eric's lips twitched at that, but it was so quick, Sookie didn't even have time to realize it.

"Well, aren't you sweet."

"Not especially." The words popped out of her mouth before she even though, but she kept up her smile, bordering on the crazy Sookie smile.

Both vampires laughed outright at this, but it died away too quickly. "I understand you were asking my bartender some questions." Eric's voice had returned to bored, though he was still inspecting her as she shifted uncomfortably.

"Would you like to know about our sleeping habits, or our feeding habits?" She managed to actually sound annoyed as if these were common enough.

"Neither actually, thank you, ma'am." You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. And Pam looked somehow astonished by the reply. Were people just not polite to vampires?

"Pam, why don't you like Miss Stackhouse ask her question?" Eric sounded somewhere between amused and annoyed.

"Please, call me Sookie."

"Sookie then, what did you need to know?" Her name sounded odd rolling off that velvety tongue.

Without asking for permission, she stepped forward, seeing Pam tense out of the corner of her eye. She set the picture of Maudette and Dawn on the table in front of them. After Long Shadow's reaction, she did not want to bring her brother into this again.

"Do you know either of these women?" She asked quietly, not having backed up.

Eric pointed to the picture of Dawn. "I have tasted this one." He said it with a little too much nonchalance, and Sookie did not want to know all the implications of that statement. His eyes met Sookie's again, and his smirk returned. "She enjoyed pain."

Pam reluctantly said she knew the girls as well, but had not had either of them. She had a demeaning remark for Maudette which Sookie chose to ignore as she picked the pictures back up and put them in her purse.

"Thank you so much for your help. I will just leave you all alone now." She smiled politely, but before she could turn away, Eric addressed her again.

"Won't you tell us why this is so important? Surely, we deserve that after being so… forthcoming." He smiled over the words, though his fangs were still retracted which made Sookie grateful.

"The women were killed in my town."

"Surely the police are handling it."

"Well, both of them had bite marks, but there are no vampires in Bon Temps."

"I still fail to see how this promoted you to Detective Sookie." Sookie couldn't help but giggle at the title, though Eric was obviously not as amused as she was. It would seem he was used to receiving full reports from those around him, not just half answers.

Once she had recovered, she decided it was best to give him the full story. After all, she doubted it could do any harm. Maybe he would have more insight. "The police aren't willing to go anywhere outside their jurisdiction, and since my brother had slept with both the girls, they have decided he did it."

"How were they killed?" It seemed like an odd leap to Sookie, but she answered just the same.

"They were strangled."

"Then maybe it was your brother because it wasn't a vampire."

"It wasn't my brother!" She barely kept herself from yelling, but her eyes held the fire her voice did not.

"How can you be so sure? I am guessing he has no alibi if they have accused him. I have seen the things that humans are capable of over the years."

"I…" She almost told him that she could see in his head that he didn't, but something about the way that Eric was studying her made her want to withhold that information. She didn't talk about it with her friends, why would she tell a complete stranger? "I just know… he is my brother."

"Well," Eric seemed to accept this human emotion though his face told her he thought it unreasonable. "a vampire would have drained them. At least, any vampire I know would have, and they would not have left the bodies to be discovered either." The cold, calculating way he said that made Sookie wonder how many times he had done just that.

"Now, it is my turn to ask a question of you." It was not a request.

"Alright." It would be rude not to allow it, even if she had a choice.

"How did you avoid my glamour?" He had leaned forward, elbows on the table as his vest sagged forward revealing the shadows a of perfect chest.

"I'm sorry." Sookie's averted from the alabaster masterpiece to look at his face once more trying to piece together the meaning of his question. "How did I do what?"

"Do not play coy, Miss Stackhouse." So he was back to last names.

"I am not playing anything. I don't understand your question." She tried not to pout, but it was hard when someone had practically called her a liar. Especially when she was telling the truth for what felt like the first time that day.

Looking skeptical still, Eric continued. "I was attempting to influence you earlier, but you did not respond. I thought perhaps Long Shadow was over exaggerating, but I have never had a human ignore my glamour like that."

"You and Long Shadow were doing what? I'm sorry Eric, I know you think I am playing dumb or something, but I don't know what you are talking about." She practically pleaded with him to believe her, she was very uncomfortable with people thinking her untrustworthy.

"Eric, I think she honestly doesn't know."

"Thank you, Pam, I can see that." Eric turned from his vampire companion in annoyance, turning his considerable attention to Sookie again. Sookie felt the strain in the air again, as if currents that could not exist were sweeping against her. When Eric spoke again, his voice was cool satin. "You will sit by me."

Well, that was just rude. "I am fine standing, thank you very much." Sookie's voice was crisp despite her discomfort.

"Pam?" Eric's companion obviously understood much more in her name than Sookie did, but the power stopped when he spoke.

"Sookie, come here and let me lick that golden skin of yours." Sookie managed to look Pam in the eye as a weaker version of what she felt from Eric, or she was beginning to guess it was from him, washed over her. Still, she could not keep the deep blush that she could feel spreading to her neck.

"Now, there is no need to talk nasty." She did not like the way they looked at each other.

"What are you?" It was Pam who asked this time. Having felt like an outsider all her life, having two vampires ask her that in one day was not helping.

"I don't know why you all think I am something more than just a waitress from the middle of nowhere…" Her voice trailed off as she heard a rather alarming thought and looked around to locate the man it came from.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I will just be going." She turned around to leave for real this time, screw good manners. But when she turned around, she bumped face first into Eric's chest. She put her hand against his chest to push herself back, but large hands completely encircled her upper arms, hastening just enough to cause a twinge of pain. She strained her neck to look up at his face, realizing how unreasonably tall he was even in her impressive heels.

"Where exactly do you think you are going?" Eric was used to doing the dismissing. No one just walked away from a conversation with him. Especially not cute little blonds with interesting talents.

"I am going home Eric. I am not some fangbangers to be toyed with. I obviously don't belong here, and I would like to leave."

"Oh, you most certainly do not belong here, but we are not finished yet." The mischievous gleam in his eye did nothing to steady her nerves, but she could hear the police officer getting anxious.

"Look, I know that man over there." There she went, just flat out lying this time. Is that what it took to be around vampires? "He is a police officer, and he works undercover." At least those weren't lies.

Eric's eyebrows raised. He wanted more information before he let her go, he could feel her irregular heartbeat but couldn't tell if she was lying or simply afraid. Had they been in a more private location where his club was not at risk he would have just found out the old fashioned way, mores the pity.

"Let's just say he isn't exactly the tourist type, so if he is here, then there is probably a sting." Again, not at outright lie, but she could not think of a way to insert the information about someone feeding on the man that Pam had kicked earlier without incriminating herself. "You may be comfortable assuming nothing illegal is going on here, but I am not and I would rather not be caught up in some police operation."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, never releasing her arms. When he looked down at her again, his eyes were still pensive, but also hungry. "Come with me."

"No, I will not go with you." She struggled a little, though she could barely move when he tucked her against him. Her struggles stopped when she heard him groan suggestively from her wiggling.

"That was not a request Miss Stackhouse."

"I will kick and scream, you will not make it out of here without a scene. The police officer may not do anything now since he is undercover, but it will be hard to explain afterwards for a public figure, won't it?" She was proud of her rationality.

"The police officer?" Eric questioned, though she wasn't sure where he was going with it. "What's his name Miss Stackhouse, or did you just make it all up?" She had calmed down enough that he would know if she was lying.

Her mouth dropped open, but she couldn't even come up with a lie. Luckily for her, Eric seemed to hear the sirens close around them, and looked to see the man obviously nervous as he inched his way towards the door to greet his fellow officers.

A word in a language she did not understand left Eric's lip, and he bent himself until they were face to face. "Why must you be so stubborn, Miss Stackhouse? Most women would be more than happy to be whisked away by me."

"I am not most women." She said through gritted teeth.

" anyone ever told you have you smell delicious." His nose went to her neck, much the same way Sam had earlier, though he seemed much more focused on her jugular. He looked as if he wanted to say, or do, more, but the sirens were getting closer. They wouldn't come for no reason, and he needed to be not in jail to take care of the legal matters. "This is not finished." His anger made Sookie's heart stop for a moment, then he was gone.

She waited as long as she dared, hoping he would not be waiting for her outside. She had no idea the strength of survival instincts that a 1000-year-old vampire possessed. Making it to her car without incident, she locked her doors and took off without hesitation, barely making it out before the squad cars surrounded the place.

Oddly enough, after her initial fear melted away only one thought kept reoccurring to her. How nice it would be to have that mental silence around her. Maybe she could find a nice vampire who wanted a crazy friend somewhere.

A/N: I am trying stay true to the original story while still keeping it interesting. Obviously, if I continue writing things will change pretty dramatically.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the great response guys, glad you all enjoyed it! For all those who reviewed, bless you all! If you think I am ever not being true to the characters, feel free to let me know!

For anyone wondering, major events that are not bill dependent will still be occurring, just in different ways. Of course, since Bill has a tendency to mess things up, this should be an improvement for dear Sookie… _should_.

I do think this Sookie is going to be a little… smarter? Self-sufficient? Well, we will see anyway.

There may be a small Sookie/Sam side bar, but don't worry people, I will not betray you all

Again, Charlaine Harris owns everything and is awesome, and I am not worthy ;)

PS If any of you are, or know, a beta reader who might be willing to help me out. I would definitely appreciate it!

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sookie had to wonder if perhaps it had all been a dream. Of course, seeing her dress and heels still out, she knew it had all happened just the way she remembered it. Being an out-of-town bar owner and vampire, surely he would be too busy with the raid and his business to bother with some human he would never see again. Or so she hoped.<p>

Sookie could not bring herself to tell her Gran, especially since it had been so fruitless. She conveniently slept in late and only had time to tell reassure Gran that she had two gin and tonics that were good but not especially strong. She did mentioned that the bartender was a vampire, knowing that her grandmother would want to hear all about that later. If she focused on those details, she could probably skip some of the others.

Work passed quickly as Sookie remembered all the interesting people she had seen the night before to keep the thoughts of her brother that seemed to be swarming around her out of her head. It worked for the most part, as long as she stayed away from Andy who seemed to be trying to trip her up with the horrible things he was thinking. However, no matter what part of the evening she tried to focus on, (the unusual attire of the patrons, the tourists who seemed to think they were in some Tim Burton version of Disney World, or even the bartender who had tried to do something to her she still didn't really understand) she always came back to the same moment. Her mind seemed to skip right over the frightening face of Eric as he promised her that it wasn't over and fixate on when the annoyingly gorgeous vampire had looked her over, obviously happy with what he saw. It was not the first time that she had received that particular look, but never had she experienced it free of unnecessary commentary. Thinking of the complete silence behind those beautiful eyes, all the garble of voices around her even now seemed somehow quieted.

On her way out to her car, she saw a few new faces going into Merlotte's, a strange occurrence in such a small town. But her shift was over, so Sookie pushed their faces to the back of her mind as they would not be her problem. Once the sun set, Sookie was a little on edge, half expecting Eric to come driving down the gravel. She laid awake in bed an extra hour, her sheet clumped in both fists waiting for the sound of an approach. But he didn't show. For all his insistence, Sookie awoke the next morning having seen none of Eric and feeling much more confident.

She was working the lunch shift again and greeted Sam with a little extra cheer despite her late night. Sam returned the smile hesitantly, signaling her over. Curious as to what would be more important than her prep work, she headed over to the bar.

"Sookie, I just thought you oughta know. There were some people in here asking bout you yesterday, after you left."

Sookie's smile faltered only for a moment, though it did not manage to look quite as real when it went back in place. "Well, I am sure they heard an earful."

Sam noticed the change. "Yeah, I didn't say nothing, but you know how people round here talk." And she did. The rumors about her were numerous, and though most didn't think she could actually read minds, there were a few who did and being Crazy Sookie wasn't much better.

"Thanks Sam." She sounded more dejected than grateful.

"Everything okay, Sookie? You in some kind of trouble?" She could practically feel the concern from radiating his mind. "You know you can tell me anything."

"Yeah, I know Sam, but I am fine. It was probably just a coincidence, maybe heard about Crazy Sookie somewhere else. Town idiot and what not." Her choked laugh at the end of her ramble did not make it any more convincing.

"Look, you ain't crazy, and you sure ain't an idiot. A little naive sometimes and stubborn as a mule, but don't let people get you down." The look he was giving made her stomach do a little flip, which she promptly ignored.

"Thanks again, Sam." The statement sounded a little more real this time as she sauntered off to get her tables ready with a smile.

Her smile did not make it through the day. Andy Bellefleur had imagined Sookie and her brother in a compromising position to try and upset her, and it had worked. Then, while she was outside with Sam, who was trying to comfort her, some out-of-towner had walked out on his tab. Andy said he had seen the guy in the back hall supposedly looking for the bathroom, but she figured he had realized they were blocking the back exit and switched strategies. Andy had apologized for his thoughts and then, unnecessarily, for not catching the guy. By the time she got home, all she wanted to do was take a very long shower and curl up with a good book, which was exactly what she did.

Gran had gone to sleep early after a busy day in her garden and a meeting of the Descendants of the Glorious Dead. Despite her previous late night, Sookie lost track of time as she read one of the new romance novels she had gotten from the library.

It came as quite a shock as she heard a knock on the front door. Not loud enough to be violent but still unmistakable. She had not heard anyone pull up, and the only close neighbor had passed away a while ago. Opening the door, she expected Jason, or perhaps Andy telling her Jason had been taken in again. She had momentarily forgotten about the ridiculously tall blond vampire during her bad day. But there he stood, plan as day… well, perhaps night in his case.

"Eric!" Sookie refused to leave the relative security of her door way, standing there with the door open.

"I think I prefer the other outfit, though this one has possibilities." His eyes were boring into her. In her haste to answer the door, Sookie had forgotten she was only dressed in a thin nightgown.

"You can just stop with that line of thought right now!"

"I thought most women loved it when men commented on their outfits."

"And I thought we covered that the other night."

"Of course, you are not most women." The man could definitely pull off a smirk. "May I come in?"

"You most certainly may not!" Something about being on her home turf made her feel much more safe than she had at the bar.

The smile disappeared, and his eyes narrowed. Sookie could already tell he was the type to not like being refused. Well, that was just going to be tough luck for him. She did not invite strange men into her house late at night, and she wasn't going to change that for some vampire.

"Sookie, we need to talk."

"I got all the information I needed, so really we are good."

"No, it is my turn to ask the questions."

"Well, then you can come back at a reasonable time. I have to work tomorrow, so I need to go to sleep right now. I don't think you would just let someone show up and start demanding for you to talk right before the sun was about to rise." She didn't think his sleep was probably quite the same as hers, but she needed something.

"Do not make this harder than it needs to be Sookie. If you will just let me in, we can talk for a bit, and I will be on my way."

"Eric, please leave. I have nothing to say to you, and I do not wish to see you."

"The fact that I cannot glamour you is becoming less interesting and more annoying."

"Yes, I know, I can be very annoying. Another good reason for you to go."

"Sookie."

"If you refuse to leave, I will call the police." She was bluffing really. It seemed like a horrible idea to involve the police. Sookie very seriously doubted they had any idea how to deal with a vampire.

For a moment, Eric looked as if he might enter the house of his own free will, but then he just stopped, glared at Sookie and took a step back.

"This is not the end of our talk."

"It is for me." She shut the door on him. It was only then that she realized that she had not seen a car.

Sookie peeked out the window, but Eric was no longer there. She was proud of herself for standing her ground. However, she couldn't help but remember the look in his eye. He definitely intended to have a talk with her, and she could only hope his need to stay on the right side of the law.

* * *

><p>I know, short, but more to come!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

A few of you have mentioned "This Sookie" and I felt like maybe I should explain why I am portraying her as I am. I figure in the books/tv show she always had Bill there when dealing with other vampires, so she felt safe without even realizing it because she trusted him. Obviously, Sookie does not have that buffer here, so her survival instincts are a little sharper. After all, the first vampires she met tried to glamour her into sleeping with him and the next just bit her against her will. Hence, smarter, tighter lipped Sookie, but still fiesty! There will be more of that Sookie in this chapter.

Also, I may be taking some small poetic licenses, so hopefully no one will hate me too much. If you reach the end of this chapter and have no idea what I mean, then more's the better!

All rights to these characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

* * *

><p>"Sookie, are you alright, dear?" Her Gran stood on the other side of the closed bathroom door as Sookie stared at herself in the mirror. If her Gran's question was not a clear indication of concern, Sookie would have known Gran was worried just by the format of the conversation. Adele Stackhouse did not talk through doors nor did she speak to people while they were in the bathroom. Both were incredibly improper.<p>

"I am fine Gran, nightmares have been keeping me up." It was true. Sookie had nightmares about Eric all night.

"Alright, well, I will have some lunch ready for you whenever you are done." The floorboards of the old house creaked as Sookie's Gran made her way back to the kitchen.

Sookie felt terrible. She had been so worried about Eric coming back, that she had barely slept at all. The dark circles under eyes felt like beacons, telling the rest of the world. She tried concealer, but it did not help any.

Finally, she decided there was only one thing she could do to make herself feel better. Going back to her room, she grabbed her bathing suit and changed quickly, throwing her robe so she could eat her lunch. She sat at the table with Gran for chicken salad sandwiches and tea. Perhaps because of her disability, Gran had always understood that Sookie sometimes needed to keep some things to herself. So Sookie was eternally grateful when the loving woman only asked about work, and if she had seen Jason recently. Mundane, safe subjects. Once she was finished and had cleaned up after them both, she went outside to soak up the sun.

Enjoying her one major vice, Sookie really did begin to feel better. After all, there was no way Eric could come after her right then. She tried not to think too much on it, but one thing was really bothering her; it was her own complete lack of knowledge. There were no vampires here for her to ask, though she was beginning to think she wouldn't have tried even if there were some, and the only women she knew who had personal dealings with vampires were dead. She cringed at the thought and rolled over, making sure her tan was even.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head, and she quietly laughed at all those who thought her dumb. She may not know anyone who could tell her about vampires, but the Bon Temps library had just gotten a computer with public internet access. Sookie was willing to bet there was information about them on there.

After all, knowledge was power, and she had a feeling she was going to need something against Eric.

* * *

><p>"Um, excuse me, could you help me? I need to do some research on the internet."<p>

"Bless your heart, of course." The librarian's husband had told her all about Jason, and she was thinking how sad it was for Sookie that her brother was a murderer. While Sookie didn't like the thoughts, if the woman thought she was here for that, all the better.

"Let me take you to a site where all you will have to do is type in whatever you want to look for." They went to the computer together, but Sookie stood behind the chair as the woman brought up a browser and entered the web address for her. She showed her how to use it, searching for "lawyers". Her subtly was wasted on the mind reader. Considering how convinced she seemed to be that her husband, a local police officer, would be arresting Jason before long, Sookie thought perhaps she should suggest he contact Sid Matt Lancaster.

Once the tutorial was ended, Sookie switched places but waited until the librarian was safely behind her check-out counter before she began her own inquiries. "Vampires" returned a staggering number of sites. She noticed an advertisement for Fangtasia at the top of the page. Even if her little town didn't seem too interested in the lives of vampires, it would seem that Eric was definitely interested in marketing to his audience. Sookie followed the link, hoping to find out more about him, but besides learning his last name was Northman, there was not much useful information for her.

Going back to the main page, she saw a link for the Fellowship of the Sun but wasn't sure she would be able to trust the information from them. From what she had heard, they were a little extreme. Another link grabbed her attention: "The Do's and Don't's of Dating A Vampire." She definitely had no intention of dating Eric Northman, but the Don't section sounded promising.

Skimming over the Do part, she actually did find some very interesting things. Of course, she had seen movies with vampires in them, but she had no idea how much of that stuff was real. Obviously they showed up in pictures. She had seen a couple pictures on the web search which she assumed were vampires from their pallor.

"Make sure to invite your vampire and their friends into the house out loud and quickly. Vampires hate having to remind humans that they need an invitation." Well, that was very good. That explained why he had just stopped. She was suddenly glad she had ignored her southern upbringing and not invited him in. Maybe, she should mention to Gran not to invite anyone in. Of course, he could always glamour her, unless her ability was a family thing… She hoped it was.

Most of the rest of the Do's were things Sookie did not really want to even contemplate. She scrolled down, hoping the Don't portion would help more. As she read, she felt like it was opposite day for her, and she made a mental list.

"Never wear silver. Even a little can weaken and burn your vampire." Sookie was fairly certain she had heard that before. She had a necklace and bracelet that were sterling silver, perhaps she could grab them before work. Maybe she could find some earrings too.

"Try to not eat food heavy with garlic. Vampires are extremely sensitive to the smell." Italian food just became her new favorite nourishment.

"Vampires are extremely possessive, try to avoid touching or being touched by others, especially of the same gender as your vampire. They prefer their own scent on their humans." Well, that one didn't quite seem to apply, but it was interesting. Eric had not exactly looked disinterested, but she figured he probably looked that way at most woman who wanted something from. Of course, he had not made it seem like he was interested in that…

She continued to scroll down only to find pictures that she did not know could be put on the internet. They had gone to visual aids for some more Do's. She had certainly never seen anything like it; well, she had seen some people imagine things close, but this was different somehow. She simply sat there. It was like passing road kill. You know you shouldn't look because you are only going to be disgusted, but you can't help seeing it.

A wave of extreme rage from behind her overcame her own revulsion, and she quickly exited the page, half excepting to have to face the librarian.

"What are you doing, Sookie?" Her brother's friend Rene looked at her darkly, though his thoughts were far from coherent. Sookie was actually frightened for a moment, what right did he have to judge her? But then she remembered the time he had mentioned that she reminded him of his sister. Yeah, Jason probably would have been just as pissed if he had seen her looking at those particular pictures.

"I was just doing some research. You know they think that Jason killed those girls." More half truths, what would Jesus say? "That site… I didn't know… this is terribly embarrassing, please don't tell Jason." Her eyes pleaded with him, and his face seemed to calm down a little as he processed the information.

He finally nodded as if he could accept this explanation. "That stuff is not proper for a lady, Sookie. You should be more careful want you open."

"You ain't just kiddin'." The sincerity in her voice seemed to relax him even more. "I am just praying I can get that out of my head." Rene's mind was surprisingly blank, and Sookie resisted the urge to reach out and touch him. He was not the first person who she found hard to read; Sam was the same, well, slightly different, but still difficult.

"Arlene needed to return some books from Coby and Lisa, but she had to work the double today." He explained his presence. "Aren't you supposed to be working tonight?"

"Yeah." She was actually already in her uniform, having planned to go straight to work from the library. "I probably should head on out."

Rene had not moved, but Sookie pushed in the chair and began to make her way. She only turned around for a moment. "Thank you again, Rene. For not telling Jason."

"Don't make me regret it." She nodded and smiled brightly at him before she left him, deciding to definitely stop by her house with her extra time. How was she to know how easy it would be to find stuff on the internet?

* * *

><p>Business was had been relatively slow. Jason, Hoyt, and Rene had come in not too long ago. She had blushed when she saw Rene but was trying to act normal as she served their table. Jason was telling them about his latest trip to the police station. He was worried about his job with all the work he had been missing.<p>

"Jason, have you thought about talking to Sid Matt Lancaster?"

"Rene actually suggested that."

She smiled at the man, though she quickly looked away. He was a good friend to her brother. "I think that would be a good idea."

Jason nodded. She heard the door to Merlotte's but didn't turn to look. "Until they find out who is really responsible, I am afraid they won't be leaving you alone." She noticed that Jason was not really paying attention to her. In fact, everyone at the table, everyone at the restaurant seemed to be staring towards the front door. Eric, in his tight leather pants and black tank top could not have looked more vampiric if he had been dressed like a Hollywood version of Dracula with his fangs sticking out. There was something very unreal about his pale frame standing among the citizens of Bon Temps. He may as well have shouted for a synthetic blood drink.

As if he somehow knew, he walked right over and sat in her section. Her brother made as if he was going to stand, and even Sam looked as though he might jump over the bar any minute. Sookie shook her head at her boss. It was hard for a man that size not to look threatening, add on the fact that the man was actually a vampire, and it was no one every other male in the room was on edge.

"Eric, what are you doing here?" Her whisper was an angry hiss.

"We need to talk, and you have been avoiding me. You cannot do that here." He looked around like someone inspecting the competition. Somehow, he either didn't notice the already forming mob of men, or he simply did not care. It was probably a little of both. "I can see why this place is so popular. Perhaps I should buy shorts for my wait staff as well."

"I am at work! We can't talk here." She was over aware of the fact that every eye and ear was trained on to their conversation. It was unusually quiet for a bar.

"Well, you refuse to talk to me when I come to your house at night. You came to talk to me at my work, so I thought I would return the favor."

"It's not the same thing!"

"I do not see the difference."

She was losing the argument, and she knew it. There was no way out of this without making a big scene, and they both knew it. Just as she had used the crowd against him, he was using it against her.

"Fine, we will go outside and talk." She glanced over at Sam. "I am taking my break."

It was Jason who spoke up. "Sookie, is he bothering you?"

She wanted to answer yes so badly, but this had to stop. She did not want to know what his next idea to get her to talk would be. "No, I, uh, I know him." It sounded terrible, but there was no good way to explain this outloud in front of everyone. Without waiting for anyone else to interfere, she grabbed Eric's arm and hauled him out of the bar through the back. Of course, he was obviously letting her do so, and smile. Still, she was glad once they were outside.

Sookie couldn't help but close her eyes for a moment at the contact with him. The man was like telepath Tylenol. Not that she had a headache, but sometimes the voices pressing in on her felt like one. This was not the same as being alone. It was better, as if she could take the void that stood before her into herself. She could actually feel the nothingness somehow. The silence was such a relief after a shift at Merlotte's.

"What are you doing?" He sounded intrigued rather than angry, which Sookie thought was good.

"Shhhh…" She wanted to enjoy it for a moment longer.

"Miss Stackhouse." Now he sounded annoyed; she dropped her hand.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes and answered his question truthfully. "Just reveling in the silence."

"I would think out here in the middle of nowhere you would have plenty of quiet."

"Not like this." She strained her neck to look up at him now that he was closer and recalled his sudden appearance at her door. "How did you get here anyway?"

"Miss Stackhouse, I am here to ask the questions, and you would be smart to answer them truthfully."

She intended to answer him, if for no other reason than to get him off her back. He was already suspicious, so she figured she would have to give the truth or else he wouldn't believe her. "What if I let you ask me anything, and I will answer truthfully, but then you let me ask you something?" Sookie crossed her arms over her chest as she bargained with the vampire.

Eric's eyes narrowed, but he seemed to think about it for a moment. "It has been some time since a human has bested me."

"I didn't…" Eric held up a finger, and she actually fell silent. She felt silly about being hushed in such a manner, but the fact that she had left herself alone with a vampire behind a bar had finally struck home.

"I should have learned all I needed to know about you that evening at my bar. Tell me, did I learn anything?"

"I don't know, did you?" It seemed like a rhetorical question, but he must have figured out something if he was there.

"No, I did not. You used my position and your superior knowledge of the situation to get away from me. My plans were thwarted," Sookie wanted to laugh at his use of the word as if he were some villain planning the destruction of the world, but it seemed an inappropriate time. "by you, a 'waitress from the middle of nowhere.'" His lips curled up as he used her own words. "I find you intriguing. A rare quality in a human. I will allow you your questions."

Sookie had wanted to make it clear that he wasn't allowing her anything; they were simply making a fair exchange. However, Eric did not pause for comments.

"So, what was your question? Oh yes, how did I get here? I flew." He said it so matter-of-factly she actually looked around for a helicopter as if he meant something other than Superman style. She had really meant how had he know where she worked, but the flying thing was much more interesting.

"Can all vampires fly?" He raised both eyebrows at her.

"Oh right…" She uncrossed her arms and clasped her hands instead. She was feeling very jittery.

"Are you a telepath?"

She couldn't help but gasp at his sudden leap. She figured it would be more questions about her status as a human or perhaps specifics about the other night. How had he gotten to mind reading so quickly? The look on his face told her that though he might be asking, it was not going to be a surprise to him.

"Yes."

"No, all vampires cannot fly." He did not so much as blink at her admission.

"Hey! I wanted to change my question." She just managed to not stamp her foot.

"Do not make me regret this arrangement." His eyes narrowed, but a smile was playing on his lips. He was pleased with himself.

"Sorry." She went over to lean against the building, tired of standing still. She could stay on her feet all night long, if she was moving, but as soon as she stood still, she could feel it.

"Can you read my mind?" From the way he leaned toward her, Sookie knew that this was the all important question, though she was unsure why.

"Nope, I get nothing from you." A content sigh escaped her lips after she spoke. Eric's head cocked to the side, but he remained quiet, obviously not wanting to waste a question.

"What were you talking about the other night when you asked me about glamouring?" She had not seen that on the website, and Rene had interrupted before she could look it up.

"Even very young vampires are able to exert control over the minds of humans. It would seem that you are immune to these abilities."

"Well, that is good." Sookie did not like the idea that Long Shadow had been trying to force her to go anywhere with him.

"That remains to be seen." Eric did cryptic well. "As I find my previous question too vague, a point of clarification. Can you read any vampire minds?"

"I have only met the ones who were in your bar, but I didn't get anything from them either. So I don't think so."

"Very good." Eric looked overly pleased by that.

"That remains to be seen." Sookie dropped her voice in a crude impression of his own sultry voice. Immediately, she regretted the slight as she once again found herself up close and personal with Eric's chest. It was not a trend she enjoyed.

Cold fingers grabbed her chin and forced her face up; she did not even try to struggle, though her own eyes were fierce with silent determination. Just because she was scared, didn't mean she had to look like it. Eric's glacial blue eyes drove home the point as he spoke. "Make no mistake Miss Stackhouse, a look into the mind of a vampire is a very dangerous thing. Had I found you to be lying to me, I would have been forced to kill you. I find I do not wish to do so, which is the only reason you still draw breath."

That was enough to stop a girl's heart. If she had not been afraid before, she was now. For a moment, she contemplated thanking him, but the fact that she could not seem to get her mouth to work silenced that thought. Instead, she stubbornly kept the fear out of her eyes, refusing to break eye contact with him.

"I had a psychic before." His incredibly long fangs were prominent as he smiled at her suggestively.

Her brain was finally able to make her lips move again, though barely. "Oh?"

"You smell even better." His voice was dangerously quiet.

"It's the shampoo." She felt the rumble of laughter in his chest.

"And a sense of humor, too. Vampires are not a very joking lot, except Pam, of course." Something told Sookie her version of humor would be a little different than the striking vampire who had tried to make her… Oh, Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, that woman had wanted to lick her!

"Mmm, that is practically a tease to a vampire." Eric's purr did not match the masculine exterior as he watched the blush spread over Sookie's face.

"I promise I mean nothing by it."

"If only you did. You are so feisty; I am sure you are quite fun in bed."

"Excuse me sir, but I am sure you are old enough to act the gentlemen."

"In my time, chivalry had not yet been created, and you would have been subjected to the whims of the strongest raider to take over your village." He obviously thought of himself as this strong raider.

"Just how old are you?" The question came out as a whisper.

"Question time is over." Eric growled as he leaned down closer, and Sookie gave up her bravado, trying to step out of his grip, only to have his other hand press into the small of her back. For all intents and purposes, she now had her back to a wall with no chance of escape. "Really Sookie, you must find me attractive."

"Not at all." Years of not letting people see her react to their thoughts kept her face blank. The vampire did not need anyone to stroke his ego.

"Your heartbeat says you are lying." He smiled at her confidently. If he had just been some guy, one who had not threatened to kill her just five minutes earlier, she knew she would have been putty in his hands. But he was not some guy, he was a vampire, and he was making that perfectly clear.

"You try having a Lord-only-knows how old vampire tell you he almost had to kill you and see if your heartbeat isn't a little irregular." She was proud of how steady her voice sounded, considering how very unsteady she felt.

"I don't have a heartbeat." His eyes had gone from ice to smoldering flames faster than Sookie thought healthy, and it took all her will power not to lick her lips, which suddenly felt very dry.

"This would be much easier if you would just admit that you want me." His face was literally inches from hers, and she realized she was actually leaning in to him a little. She immediately stopped herself. The Lord should not have given such a man that voice.

"I can see that you believe you are God's gift to womankind, but I assure you, I want no part of that." She still believed that he was simply using his charms towards some goal. Her disability was somehow important to him beyond the fear that she might be able to read his mind.

"Keep lying to yourself, and perhaps you will believe it." He turned off the smolder as if it were a switch. "Don't worry, I have never forced myself on a woman that way… it is a point of pride." She found his admission reassuring even though he did not back away from her. "You know, I could take you away from all this. You would never have to serve another beer. I could set you up in an apartment. Your days would be your own."

"I will not be your whore." She wanted to spit in his face she was so offended by his presumption, but self-preservation and a severe case of dry mouth kept her from doing so.

"It would not have to be sexual... until you wanted it to."

Choosing to ignore the second part, Sookie's voice still held more venom than recommended when dealing with a vampire. "I would be selling myself all the same. I am no one's kept woman, and I have no intention of leaving my home!"

"Such spirit." Instead of anger, heat seemed to dance once again in her captive's eyes. "I wasted my last psychic. It was many years ago, and I was too greedy." He took a deep breath, lost in his memories. "Why do you smell so much better?"

This felt like a re-hashing of the 'What are you?' question. Not that anything he had just said made her feel any safer. His words did not bode well for the trapped waitress. "I thought we were done with the question portion of the evening... I would like to go inside now; I've got tips I need to make."

"Sookie, I would like for you to come work for me."

"I thought that we already went over this." Her anger did not go away even when he stepped back from her.

"Not like that. You see, in my world, a telepath can be extremely useful."

"I'd rather not be part of your world, thank you very much."

"I can see that you are not in the right state of mind right now. I will give you time to think about it. I would _appreciate_ it if the next time I come to speak with you, you simply talk to me rather than raising a fuss. It makes things so much easier." The way he said 'appreciate' made it sound much more like he expected it.

"No amount of talking is going to change my mind."

"I truly hope that you are wrong." There was some hidden meaning behind what he said that Sookie knew she had missed.

There was no chance to ask him as he took off into the night sky. She hated that she was impressed. With a single bump of her head against the wall of Merlotte's at the predicament she had landed herself in, she went back in to face her customers. No doubt there would be a million questions.

Things went to hell a little faster than she had expected. In fact, no sooner had she re-entered the dining room area than her brother started in.

"WHAT THE FUCK SOOKIE?" He did not even try to control his voice.

"Language!" She said as she scrambled to quiet him down. She was shocked by the severity of his reaction. Lost in her own situation, Sookie had not considered the implications of her talk with Eric. It seemed that people had read much more into it than simply a chance meeting. In fact, the mental consensus seemed to be that she "knew" him in a biblical sense. That was definitely what Jason seemed to be thinking.

Jason stood, not interested in staying quiet. His eyes reminded her of Rene earlier, so she had definitely been right about the brotherly reaction. He grabbed her arm too roughly when she tried to take a step back. He shoved was forcefully moving her chin as if looking for fang marks, but when her skin showed nothing, it did not stop him.

"My own sister! What? Are you some sort of fangbanger now, Sookie?" He was shaking her none too gently. Her mind was screaming for her to move, to do something, but it was her brother.

"You'll be wanting to let go of your sister." Sookie's eyes focused as she felt her brother's arms drop. Sam was now standing between them with one hand around Jason's neck. She had not even heard him move. From Jason's color and the way his eyes were bulging, it looked like Sam was applying a fair amount of pressure. Sookie could have sworn she heard him growling before he spoke again. "You are alright, cher?"

"Yes." Her voice cracked when she spoke, and she knew the tears were falling unbidden.

"Apologize to your sister." Sam shook Jason a little, surprising Sookie with his strength. The two men were about the same size; Sam must be deceivingly strong to have that effect on her brother.

"Sorry Sookie." He didn't really sound like he meant it, but Sam released him all the same.

"Jason, I can explain." She reached out to touch him, but he childishly pulled away.

"I don't want to hear it." Throwing some money down on the table from his back pocket, he turned to leave, Hoyt and Rene joining him. Sookie just stood there in shock, not wanting to yell her business in front of half the town.

Rene shook his head at her as he left. Of course, he would think she had been lying earlier. If he decided to tell Jason what he saw, it would be even harder to explain later.

"Please, Jason!" He only held up a hand to silence her and walked out.

"Sookie, let's go back to my office. Come on, cher."

She allowed Sam to usher her back, feeling as drained as she had the night before. He sat her down in the chair in front of the desk, and pulled his own forward until their knees were touching in the small office.

Sam's face was calm, but she could feel a tumult of emotions underneath that exterior. No thoughts specifically, just some hazy feelings. Though she sensed a little anger, concern seemed to be winning out, and she was grateful for that. She could not have handled another episode, even behind closed doors.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." She answered him truthfully, knowing that probably wouldn't be the end of it.

"Sookie, you got me real worried. Getting mixed up with vampires is not a good idea."

"You have no idea." She was staring down at her hands, not brave enough to face the man who had come to her rescue.

"So…" He hesitated only for a moment. "You aren't _with_ that vampire?"

"Hell no!" Jesus would probably understand a little curse word for that question.

Sam sighed as relief practically rolled off him. Sookie looked up to see him lean back in his chair. He was a little too pleased with this information. She hadn't even been on a date in years, and Sam knew about her disability. Why had he thought she had suddenly taken up with anyone?

"When you went out to the club, you just looked so nice. I thought maybe you had met someone." He was watching her intently now.

He wasn't that far off, though it wasn't quite in the way he seemed to think.

"Sookie?" Something in her expression must have changed.

Sam had always been so good to her. She loved working for him, and he was even okay with her handicap. Perhaps it would be okay to tell him. She needed to tell someone before she burst. Right now, he seemed like the best candidate.

"When I went to Shreveport the other night… I went to a vampire bar to try and find out if anyone knew something about Maudette or Dawn." She was looking at her hands again.

"Sookie, for as smart as you are, you do some pretty dumb things."

She looked up at him, fire in her eyes once again. "You don't think I know that!"

"Cher…" He seemed to regret his words and placed his hand on her clasped fingers. "I'm sorry. What happened?"

"One of the vampires, the boss, I kind of caught his interest when they found out I can't be glamoured."

"Really, you can't be glamoured?" He interrupted her. Sookie was surprised he even knew when it meant, much less that it seemed so important to him.

"I guess not. He was surprised too."

There was a knock at the door, and Arlene's head popped in. "Boss, orders at backing up at the bar, ya'll have been gone for a while."

"Sorry Arlene, ask Terry to come out from the kitchen and man the bar till I get out, and can you try to help out with Sookie's tables? She is still pretty broken up." He sounded surprisingly calm, and Sookie just stared at him, unwittingly selling the story to Arlene.

The other waitress spared a moment to pat Sookie on the shoulder before she trotted off to fill her orders.

"So he is here because he couldn't glamour you?" He prompted her back to the story.

"Well, no." The sudden changes were giving her whiplash. His feelings seemed to change so rapidly. She had not realized that before. "There was a raid on the club, and I managed to get out in the confusion." The details of how it all happened seemed unimportant. He was nodding but did not interrupt again. "I think maybe the people that were asking questions here about me were from him because last night he showed up at my house."

Sam tensed up at that piece of information but managed to pat her hand reassuringly when tears collected around her eyelashes. "I refused to talk to him, so he figured he would show up to my work where he didn't need to be invited in."

"You didn't have to talk to him. I coulda helped you, Sookie; I can protect you."

"He knew about me; I mean, about what was wrong with me. He was bound and determined to ask me some questions. I guess it just seemed easier to get it out of the way. Plus, no offense Sam, but what can you do? He could just glamour you into handing me over." She tried not to snort at his offer. He had given it sincerely, and she appreciated the sentiment as much as she doubted the practicality.

"I am just saying, you should really try to stay away from him. Vampires are no good."

"Preaching to the choir, Sam."

"You know if you ever need help or need to talk, I am here for you, right?"

Sookie could tell he was wrestling with something as his emotions flitted all over the place. He looked into her eyes, and she saw that emotion that scared her the most from him. He often looked at her that way when he thought she wasn't paying attention.

"Of course, Sam."

"I mean, we could go somewhere, get away for an evening, or something."

"Sam Merlotte, are you asking me out right now?" Sookie was taken aback, this hardly seemed the time or place.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Sam, I don't think that is a good idea. I don't want to drag you into all of this."

"You let me worry about myself. I have wanted to ask you for some time, but was too much of a coward. Let me take you out tomorrow. If it doesn't work out, I promise I won't make another pass, and everything will go back to the way it was."

"Now, just doesn't seem like a good time right now."

"It is the perfect time, cher. You need a good distraction."

That did sound good to her. He gave her a boyish grin when her eyes softened. Her heart gave a tiny leap as some of his reddish blond hair fell into his face. He knew all about her and wasn't running. Not to mention whatever it was that was different about his mind, maybe could help. He wasn't as good as a vampire (a thought she immediately regretted), but she wouldn't know if he was thinking specifically about her ass all night.

"Alright, tomorrow night." She felt a little giddy at this startling turn of events. This evening had been a whirlwind.

"Think you can finish out the night? I will understand if you want to go home."

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks though." She meant it as she gave his hand a small squeeze. "I better get out there before they mob Arlene."

"Yeah, I am sure Terry is ready to retreat to the kitchen as well."

Sookie spent the rest of the night fighting to keep other's thoughts about her relationship with Eric of her head. Those who had not been present for the actual incident with Jason were quickly informed, and the crowd did not die down until closing. Most she could deal with, but she lost it when she caught a thought from Alrene about the company she must be keeping. Sookie had run to the bathroom after that, having to deal with some angry tables once she returned. Sam had looked concerned, but she gave him a Crazy Sookie smile and trucked on.

It was later than usual when they finally were able to get everyone out and finish the normal closing chores. Sookie drove home on auto-pilot, getting ready for bed without even thinking about it. As she laid in bed, she attempted to push out all of the nasty thoughts that were bouncing around in her head. Instead, she focused on Sam's boyish grin, and for the first time in a few nights she fell asleep to a pleasant thought. What was she going to wear for her date?

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><p>Well, hope you all liked it!<p>

Thank you so much for the all Favorite Add-ing that I have received! But don't forget every writer loves reviews! So feel free to drop me a line, even if it is just to tell me how I am messing up!


	4. Chapter 4

You all rock! I am so glad that you all seem to be enjoying this story as much as I am! **Keep those reviews coming, even the slightly upset ones brighten my day because you cared enough to say something!**

Alright, need some input from my readers… this story will cover at least the first two books which puts me in a quandary. I had planned on this being a straight SVM fanfic, only I abhor (I mean with fiery passion) Eric's maker in the book, and I have to admit, I loved Godric! I guess what I am saying is, **would I lose readers if I did a little tv/book mash up for the Texas events?**

All Characters + Setting + Major Events = Property of Charlaine Harris

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><p>Early the next morning, Adele had received a call from a member of her church, asking for prayer for Sookie and Jason. As if they had somehow forgotten that Adele was their grandmother, and the woman was simply responsible for completing the phone chain that had been set up for urgent requests. Where was Smokey the Bear when Sookie needed him?<p>

Sookie had just popped another bite of biscuit in her mouth while her Gran sat down across from her, looking less than pleased. She chewed knowing her grandmother would not leave her in suspense for long.

"What is this I hear about you and your brother having an altercation in public?"

A crumb fell from Sookie's face as she stared wide-eyed at her grandmother. Sookie had dearly hoped this particular story would somehow bypass the woman, but she really should have known better, made a preemptive strike.

"It isn't as bad as it sounds." Attempting to sound nonchalant, she knew it had failed.

"So, Jason didn't call you a… 'fangbanger'?" Adele whispered the last word, as if someone might overhear her vulgarity.

Sookie cringed visibly, dropping her biscuit onto the plate. Surprisingly enough, she no longer had an appetite. "Alright, maybe it was that bad."

"Dear, is there something you need to tell me?" Her Gran's voice was full of concern without even a hint of anger. Of course, Sookie could depend on the woman who was practically her mother not to pass judgment on her, no matter how bad it looked.

"Well, when I was in Shreveport, you remember I told you about the vampires I met." Adele nodded; she had been very interested in them. Sookie continued slowly; she knew her next words would come as a shock, but she did not really know how to soften the blow. "Well, one of them, he wants me to work for him." It seemed like the easiest way to explain thing.

"Why does he want you to work for him dear?"

"He found out what I can do." They didn't really talk about it, but Adele knew exactly what she meant.

"Oh dear…"

"Yeah, he seems to think I can help him some how."

"Well, I think that you should stay as far away from them as you can."

"I agree!" Her Gran had begun to clean up their breakfast, and Sookie hurried up to help.

"I will talk to Jason. He should not have acted the way he did, making a spectacle." Now, Gran sounded a little angry.

"He was just upset, you know, what with him being suspected of killing those girls." Sookie was studying the floor. She still blamed Jason, but she couldn't help but understand his distress. She knew she would forgive him eventually, but it would take some time.

"Oh." Obviously, Gran had forgotten about that key detail as well. "Well, I am going to talk with him all the same."

Sookie nodded at the fridge, putting the juice away. That had gone surprisingly well, and a sigh of relief escaped.

"Anything else happen at work last night?" Sookie translated that as "awkward topic of conversation taken care of, moving on to possibly happy things."

"Yes, actually." A bit of excitement crept into Sookie's voice. Intent as she had been on breakfast and coffee, she had not told Gran the big news.

"Well?" Gran didn't need to be a mind reader to tell her granddaughter was happy about something.

"Sam asked me out on a date tonight!"

"Took him long enough!" A knowing smile had spread across Adele's face.

"Gran!" Sookie was shocked at the woman's response.

"Honestly Sookie, the only man you have been able to put up with as long as Sam is your brother, and that is only because he is family. He is obviously attracted to you." Gran didn't spend much time at Merlotte's, but her group of ladies were talkers. "I had almost given up on him."

Sookie laughed for what felt like the first time in days. In fact, it probably was. Leave it to her Gran to make her feel so much better in the midst of everything going on around her. The woman really was a saint.

"So you said yes?"

"Yeah, I am a little worried, but I think it will be fun."

"I am sure you will have a great time! Now, why don't you let me finish up in the kitchen, and you can start some laundry. I think there are some towels that need to get cleaned."

"Yes ma'am!" Adele took keeping a clean house very seriously, and Sookie had inherited some of that. Her room had been neglected for a couple days, so after she started a load of laundry she went to straightening that up. The rest of the day passed much the same way. The ladies had lunch together; Adele attempted to call Jason, but he must have been busy with work. Then Gran went out to work in her garden, a favorite past time, and Sookie took to her lawn chair to perfect her tan for the evening.

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><p>That boyish grin she had fallen asleep to the previous night greeted her at the door. She had not asked what they were doing for the night, so she had chosen a yellow sundress that played well off her golden skin and showed just enough skin that she could get out of the house without hearing from her grandmother about decency. When Sam had called earlier, all he had told her was he would pick her up at 6:00, and she should not eat dinner. As always, she had gone light on her make-up, Gran always said that less was more when God blessed you with natural beauty. Sookie didn't know if that was really true of her, but she never felt comfortable with it caked on.<p>

"Don't you just look at pretty as a daisy." The intensity in his eyes hinted he might think a little more, but she did not have to hear all about it.

Sookie blushed a little at his words, not used to such sweet compliments. Usually any that she heard were in reference to her butt and completely unappreciated. She had kept her hair down. Work made it hard to ever do anything with it, and she thought it looked good that way.

"Would you like to come in for a bit?"

"Normally, I would love to. Ms. Stackhouse." He tipped a nonexistent hat to Sookie's grandmother who had come to join her at the door. "But I am afraid we will just be able to grab dinner in time to make it to the movie."

"We are going to a movie? Which one?"

"It's a surprise." He winked at Sookie before looking at her grandmother once again. "Ms. Stackhouse, would it be alright with you if I took Sookie here to Monroe for the evening?" He blushed as if maybe he should have though about this sooner.

"Of course, you kids have a lovely time, but have Sookie back at a reasonable time." Her eyes were alight as if perhaps this was actually optional. Sookie knew her Gran was just happy at the thought that Sookie might be a relationship.

"Yes, ma'am." He looked to Sookie. "Shall we?"

Sookie gave her grandmother a hug as Sam went to go open her door. "Listen, Gran, just do me a favor and… Stay in for the night and don't open the door for anyone unless you recognize them, alright?"

"Don't you worry about me Sookie, I can take care of myself."

"I know you can. Have a good night, I love you!"

"I love you too dear!"

Sookie had to roll her skirt together and pin it against her leg before she could even attempt to get in the overly high cab of Sam's truck. "Need some help up?" He asked a little too hopefully as she attempted to get one of her sandaled feet up. Perhaps a dress had been a mistake.

"I've got it." Using the door, she finally managed to scramble up without any shows of impropriety, though Sam had probably gotten a good look at some of her assets as she clung her skirt to her. He shut the door for her and went around to his own side with a big ole smile. Well, if he was going to be smug about it, then Sookie decided she wouldn't feel guilty for noticing the way his tight jeans hugged when he walked. She had always thought him good looking but had hung up a "Do Not Notice" sign as he was, in fact, her boss.

The car ride to the restaurant was quiet, but when they sat down at the little diner to grab a quick bite, they began to talk just like at the bar. It was natural enough to talk about work and their mutual friends. She had been working for Sam the past four years, so there was no lack of stories. Certain subjects were studiously avoided such as the dead waitresses and the incident last night, but other than that Sookie was thoroughly enjoying the ease of the conversation. She did not even have to try and block out any unseemly thoughts, which was the best part.

Once Sam had paid the whole bill without even a glance at Sookie, as any Southern gentleman would, they made their way back to the truck. This time, Sam came up behind her and grabbed her around the waist, startling her. She barely managed to not elbow him as he easily picked her up and placed her on her seat.

"A little warning next time." She was perturbed and a little light headed all at the same time. He really was very strong, and she thought she should be a little bit more angry than she was at being manhandled. She had the oddest sense of where his hands had been moments earlier.

"Sorry." His grin did not match the apology. "We are running late for the movie, the sun is already down. I didn't have a half hour for you to get in." He chuckled at his own joke, and Sookie shook her head to hide her smile.

"Why does it matter that the sun is down?" He noticed the slight worry in her voice as he hopped in and placed his hand on hers.

"I am taking you to the drive-in." His smile was reassuringly, but he did not remove his hand even she was obviously placated. They both just sat in silence wondering if the other would move.

"I've never been to the drive-in." Sookie finally realized it was kind of nice, even if his hand was unusually warm. Not to mention she was slightly impressed with his ability to drive stick with out one hand.

"So, how is it going so far?"

"What?"

"The date…"

"Oh, is that a normal thing to ask?" Sookie was not very experienced, though she didn't think Sam had been on too many dates either, at least not since moving to Bon Temps.

"No, but you seemed to be worried it wouldn't go well, I wanted to give you an out before we get to the movie." He was a little too smug looking to actually think he was in danger.

"Well…" She paused for effect, not wanting to stroke his ego too much. "Usually by this time I have either slapped my date or poured some sort of drink down his shirt. So, over all I would say this might be the best date ever."

"Wow, now that is a lot of pressure." With a whistle, he gave her hand a little squeeze.

"Better not let me down!" She kept the tone joking.

"I don't intend to, cher." His eyes got very serious as he pulled into the lot which was almost filled with cars next to speakers on metal posts. She had time to think about what the look in his eyes was doing to her stomach as he maneuvered his large pickup through the people and cars. She hadn't actually come to any useful conclusions when he found an empty spot in the back and pulled forward.

Sam grabbed a blanket from behind the seats and made to get out, Sookie followed, though unsure. He had pulled up facing the screen, which meant they couldn't sit in the bed. Sam spread the blanket over the hood of the truck, including the windshield. In the background, Sookie heard the old time commercials for refreshments, and an announcer mentioned the upcoming movies. She just stared at the front of the pickup, which was almost as tall as she was. It was going to be quite the climb.

"May I?" She turned around to find out what he was asking. Once Sookie was facing him, Sam again took her up by the waist and plopped her up on the hood, his hands lingering a little longer than necessary.

"You know I didn't actually give you permission." She told him with a little chagrin.

"But you make the cutest faces of indignation." He laughed at her shocked expression and hopped up next to her with a surprising amount of grace. She stuck her tongue out at him. It didn't quite seem fair.

He leaned back against the blanketed windshield, hands behind his head. Sookie thought he looked oddly natural, in his faded blues jeans and a short sleeved plaid shirt. He belonged here, relaxing in the open air.

As the movie started, she relaxed beside him, crossing her ankles and arranging her dress before she leaned back. It took a moment to find a good spot what with the windshield wipers in her back, and once she settled, she was much closer to Sam than she had intended. However, she was quickly distracted by the musical styling of Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in Singin' in the Rain. She loved the classics and barely managed to not sing along, not wanting to ruin Sam's opinion of her by deafening him.

It wasn't until the end of the movie that she noticed that his arm was around her, and by then, it felt natural. She had even leaned towards him a little. They sat that way through the credits until Sam rolled over without removing his arm. He watched her face for a moment as headlights began to flash over them. Her heart fluttered as he leaned in towards her. He gave her time to stop him, but she found she did not want to as his lips softly formed to hers. Sookie had enjoyed so few kisses in her life, not allowing many that close to her. And it was nice to be able to enjoy one without knowing what more he wanted to do. Well, she could kind of feel he wanted to do more, but the specifics were spared her, as was a commentary on her kissing. When he did not break away at what seemed like an acceptable first kiss time length, Sookie softly placed her hand on his chest. She was going to have to work with the man tomorrow. He responded to her light push, though his eyes were alight with desire.

Sookie looked away, sitting up to settle her hair. "I had a really nice time tonight, Sam." Her voice was more breathy than she had intended.

"Yeah, I better get you home before Ms. Adele comes after me." He slid off the truck, landing without so much as a stagger, and then turned with his arms out to Sookie. She would have preferred to get down of her own accord, but she didn't see how that would be possible without flashing someone. She placed her hands on his shoulders and carefully scooted herself forward until he could grab her. He even spun her dramatically in the air until he was between her and the car, earning himself a girly giggle. When her feet touched the ground, he slipped his arms around her and snuck in another kiss. This time he earned himself a swat on the arm.

Sookie silently went to load herself into the truck while Sam grabbed the blanket and folded it up. She wanted no help this time from her overly self-assured boss.

When he got in the pickup, his smug smile had not diminished. She crossed her arms and looked out her window so he could not see her smile. It seemed to be a theme for the night. The rest of the ride was silent but not uncomfortably so. Sam was struggling with something, but Sookie was fine waiting until he was ready, just basking in the glory of a date without drama.

He pulled right up to the porch but made no move to get out. Instead, Sam turned towards her, gently cupping her face in his hand. In the dim light, Sookie could not make out his expression, but she knew that something very serious was taking place.

"Look, cher, there is something very important that I need to tell you, but first I would really like to…" As he spoke he leaned closer and closer, until his sentence was cut off by the meeting of their lips. His kiss had more urgency behind it than she had expected, and the voice inside her head telling her that Sam was her boss was quickly being silenced by her body, which was reminding her that Sam was a rather attractive man. Her hand was running through Sam's ruddy hair, and his hand had moved around her waist to scoot her closer in the suddenly small cab.

Sookie did not get a chance to find out where this was going as the passenger side door swung open violently. The metal protested the rough treatment loudly enough to break through their revelry, and Sookie turned almost eye level with a very pissed off blond vampire.

"Oh shit…"

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><p>He he he… I know another serious cliff hanger, but at the rate I am going, you should have an update by the weekend! Hopefully something to look forward to!<p>

For all of those retching over the Sam/Sookie fluff, but remember who is the real slash here. Don't worry my friends, but I couldn't exactly have her swooning right into his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

So far, great response on using Godric, so you can all probably expect to see him. Thanks for everyone who took the time to let me know your thoughts, now onto the exciting semi-conclusion!

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><p>"Oh shit…"<p>

What felt like a band of iron encircled Sookie's waist. Without another word, she was wrenched from Sam's embrace. Her date looked as if he was in shock, and she could not particularly blame him. She had felt the same way. It seemed Sam had the good sense to know when he should be scared.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" When Eric turned her to face him, his eyes were fierce. Sookie was glad she had no neighbors; the last thing she wanted was another episode for the gossip mill, and Eric was not controlling his volume.

"I could ask you the same thing!" If he could yell, so could she. Though, she didn't feel like her voice came out quite as strong, Eric's anger was probably the most frightening thing she had ever seen, and she had no idea why he was so angry. Sookie was just proud she got a response out at all.

Quicker than seemed humanly possible, Sam was beside them.

"Let her go…" Again with the growling, Sookie wanted to feel exasperation over the constant posturing, but she was much more concerned by Eric's grip. Perhaps Sam was not smart enough to know he should be afraid.

Without ever even glancing in Sam's direction, Eric spoke. "Leave, pup. Before you find yourself unable to do so." His voice was cold as he continued to glare at Sookie.

"I am not leaving her here with you." Sam was actually shaking at this point, but from fear or anger, Sookie couldn't tell.

"Sam, it's alright. It is probably better that you leave." Sookie could not break eye contact with Eric, but the violent gleam in them told her how true her words were.

"Sookie, it is not alright."

Before she could reassure him that it would be fine, something she actually didn't know if she believed, Sookie realized she was staring up at the night sky instead of two ice blue eyes.

The sound of a body hitting gravel called her attention over to where Sam had been standing before. Of course, now he was on the ground with a very angry vampire's boot on his neck. Sam had managed to grab the offending shoe, and Sookie could see his muscles straining to keep it from collapsing his windpipe. Eric may as well have been inspecting his fingernails for all the attention he was giving the interaction.

"ERIC NORTHMAN!" He was threatening her boss, her friend, and a man she was very seriously considering kissing some more. "YOU REMOVE YOUR FOOT THIS INSTANT!" She wanted to stamp her own foot in emphasis, but it didn't seem like a good precedent.

"Well, isn't she girl clever, she figured out my last name." He almost seemed amused, but not enough to actually move.

"I mean it, Northman!" Sookie did not feel like being personal with him at the moment.

"He had his paws all over you!" In someone other than a giant vampire, that would have almost sounded like a whine.

"That is none of your business!" She could feel her face turning bright red.

"Like hell! You are mine." Her mouth dropped open at the claim. He seemed to have made a huge jump from wanting her to work for him to whatever possessiveness was making him act like a very strong, jealous ex.

"I most certainly am not! I am my own person, not some cattle to be branded!"

"Yes, you are. You may not have admitted it to yourself yet, but you are mine. And I intend to make that true in every sense." The anger in his eyes was melting into something else, something just as primal and no less frightening.

She heard a gurgle from Sam as he thrashed his whole body, trying to escape. Eric must have increased the pressure.

"IF YOU HARM MY FRIENDS OR FAMILY, I WILL NEVER WORK WITH YOU!" She grasped at the only straw she had, but she actually noticed Eric's leg raise a little in hesitation.

"I could just use them to force you to work for me." His voice was bored again, which Sookie took to mean he was actually listening, a strange paradox.

She began to back up onto her porch, when this conversation was over, she very much intended to be in her house. His attention was back on her, and though his voice sounded bored, his eyes were still dangerous.

"You could, and I'll be honest, it would work." She sent up a silent prayer that what she said next would do more good than harm. "You could make me help you, but could you ever really trust what I told you?"

She was literally at her door when Eric grabbed her arm. She gasped at his sudden appearance. She could hear Sam coughing in the background, but Eric seemed to have forgotten about him momentarily.

"Are you threatening me?" Never had a voice so quiet scared her so much, she shuddered as the chill of fear ran through her. The violence of the evening had disrupted his usual control.

"It is not a threat, but you know it is true." She swallowed, finding it very hard to speak at all. "I mean, I can't be glamoured, and you have no way of knowing what I hear, so you will have to take my word for it. If you are getting my cooperation through force, you would always have doubt that I was telling the truth."

He let go of her arm, contemplating what she said. Sookie did not dare even breath. Eric might have released her arm, but he looked no less threatening. Finally, he took another step back, crossing his arms. He sighed in exasperation, and Sookie finally let her breath out as well.

"You aren't that type of person. You may have stretched the truth a few times, but you don't strike me as a liar, especially when lives are at stake."

He actually seemed to know something about her. "That's true, but you involve people I care about, and trust me, you've no idea what I am capable of." Now, it was her turn to glare at him, her own eyes just as firm. That statement had sounded much more like a threat, but she wanted to be very clear on this. Plus, if he decided to kill her, at least her family would be safe. The stress of the evening was obviously catching up to her as she found herself wanting to giggle at the morbid thought. However, Sookie managed to maintain the glare-off.

All anger was erased from his face as a knowing smile touched his lips. The sudden change was disconcerting, to say the least. "Good, then we are agreed. I will not harm those around you, and you will work for me."

"Wait.. What… I didn't…" She was stammering now.

"Miss Stackhouse, now is really not the time to be going back on your word." The vampire was clearly pleased with himself.

She made a few attempts at intelligible sentences, but they all really amounted to sounds of annoyance. Finally, she just turned her back on him, her head screaming at the stupidity of showing your back to a vampire. "I am going inside!"

"Is that an invitation?" His silky voice came from right beside her ear; his breath actually moving her hair a little.

"It is definitely not. I will never invite you into my house, Eric Northman." She was vehement about that, not even turning around.

"Sookie, I assure you, one day you will invite me in." She did not like his insinuation, or the fact that his warm breath on her neck actually made her stomach tighten. Why did someone so beautiful have to be such an ass hole? "But I would prefer it not be tonight. You smell like wet animal…"

"I assure you; I won't. And I smell just fine." She opened up the door and went into the dark house. Sookie was definitely tired of all the jokes. She got it; Eric thought Sam was a dog. He was one to talk… Part of her wanted to look for Sam, but she really hoped he had just gone home once Eric was focused on her again. She doubted he would be asking her out again anytime soon.

With as loud as she and Eric had been, Sookie was surprised not to find Gran in the hallway. She reached out through the house mentally, wondering if the older woman had somehow managed to sleep through it all. The silence was overwhelming, eerie. Sookie knew immediately something was wrong.

"Sookie?" Eric's voice questioned her from the doorway. She ignored him as she looked around the living room, though she wasn't quite sure for what. Nothing was different.

"Sookie, invite me in right now." His voice was low but urgent. That was when she smelled it, that terrible coppery smell that every human recognizes without ever having to learn it. Her search became frantic. Gran's room was empty, as was the bathroom, the hall and the washroom, which only left the kitchen. Sookie flicked on the last switch.

For just a moment, the whole world froze as she stared at the lifeless body of the woman who raised her. Then everything came crashing down around her. An inhuman shriek was coming from somewhere in the house, and Sookie registered Eric shouting her name with as much notice as you give the actors on TV in another room. There, surrounded by a pool of blood, lay Adele Stackhouse.

The crash of a door was almost drowned out by the screeches, but the sound was quickly muffled as a plaid shirt enveloped Sookie. While her view may have been cut off, her mind perfectly recalled the bloody version of her Gran from the kitchen. From Sam's shushing, Sookie finally gathered the screams must have been her own, but she was not quite sure how to end them. A small part of her had recognized it was Sam that was now holding her, but no part of her could care enough to wonder how he had gotten past Eric.

"Cher, please, I need to call the police. You need to calm down." He had moved her into the living room somehow. In fact, she realized she was sitting down in a chair, and he was rubbing her back gently. She stared at him, trying to comprehend his words.

Finally, her throat had become so sore, the noise was more of a choking sound with a sob in between. How much time had passed? How long had she been standing there screaming?

However long, Sam took this as a sign of her calming down and left her, presumably to call the police. Again, she lost track of time for a moment; in fact, she lost track of everything. Until a noise broke through.

"SOOKIE, INVITE ME IN!" Eric had obviously lost his patience, unsure of what was going on inside the house.

Something inside Sookie snapped. She rose from the couch and marched over to the still open door, her eyes storming. Eric was blocking the doorway, but she did not stop as she poked him in the chest. The tall vampire actually back to the edge of the porch at the waitress's onslaught.

"You! What did you do?" She tried to scream at him, but it came out more as a whispered cry.

"Sookie… think about this." He actually looked like he was trying to control his anger, and his fangs were out.

That was too much for her. How dare he be angry at her! What right did he have to look pissed off? "YOU KILLED HER, YOU BASTARD!" She pushed through the pain in her voice, her Gran deserved so much better than this. Sookie actually raised her hand to slap her grandmother's murderer.

Suddenly, she was facing the doorway to her own house. Eric was holding the offending hand against her side, his other hand lightly holding her neck. Sookie had removed her silver jewelry for something that would match her date night outfit. If she survived this night, she would never remove it again. Never had she wanted to cause harm to another being as badly as she did in that moment.

"Never lift a hand against me again." His voice was deadly quiet, and she barely even noticed as Sam approached from within the house. "Even if I could enter the house, which I assure you, I cannot, I can smell the blood from her. We talked about this remember, no vampire would leave that much blood." He had actually calmed by the end of his speech.

She actually nodded, slowly. Some rational part of her had known that, but she was far from rational right now. As quickly as it came upon her, all the fight left her, and she practically sagged her back into Eric's chest.

"Let Sookie go!" Sam was growling again, hunched over like he might lunge at Eric.

"Or what shifter? You will nibble on my leg?"

"Shifter? What does that mean?" From the way Eric said it, it was some insult that she didn't understand. Sookie needed something to keep the two from fighting. She could not lose anyone else tonight, and she doubted that Eric would keep his word if someone in her life actively attacked him. It seemed unreasonable, but he would probably claim self-defense.

Sam's eyes had widened to resemble some of her grandmother's plates, and even Eric was quiet for a moment.

"You mean, she didn't know?" The vampire actually sounded surprised. Sam only shook his head.

"Didn't know what? What are you two talking about?" For the first time that night, Sam looked scared, and she felt herself tense up as well, not sure how much more she could take.

"Look, Cher, I was going to tell you, really. It's just, it wasn't the right time." Some time during the exchange, Eric had let her go again, and she could feel her own weight fully. She was sure that she was actively sagging under the weight of everything. "A shifter is someone who can… well, they can change into animals. I know it is kind of crazy, but you seemed to be doing well enough with a vampire, so I thought you could probably handle this. Of course, I would have picked a different time…" He looked angrily at Eric before the two men looked towards the road. A minute later, Sookie could hear the sirens, but she was too caught up in her own thoughts to worry about it.

"Sookie, will you say something?"

Sookie looked up at Sam's worried expression, not realizing she had been staring at the ground.

"I just can't, Sam… not right now." Sookie walked past Eric to greet Andy, who surprised her by opening up the back seat door of his patrol car. Jason stepped out, and Sookie felt guilty that she had not thought to call her brother. He should have been her first priority.

Andy went past the two men on the porch to go inspect the body, and Jason looked as if he might follow. Sookie put her hand on his arm to stop him, but he dodged out of her grip.

"Jason, you don't want to go in there. You don't want to see her like that. Just remember her as she was."

"Is it that bad?"

"She put up a real fight… it is bad, Jason."

Jason collapsed to the ground, and Sookie moved to comfort him. As soon as she got her arms around him, he jumped to his feet as if she had shocked him, putting space in between them.

"Jason, please forgive me for last night… please!" She begged him, tears streaming down her face. She needed her brother; they could comfort each other as they had when their parents died. She was willing to take all the blame for what had happened between them, if he would just let it go.

"I can't! Don't you want to know why I was in Andy's car?" He didn't actually wait for a response. "They arrested me today because of what happened at Merlotte's. Said I proved my motive or some bull shit. I have been at the police station all day!"

"I am so sorry Jason, I didn't know. No one told us."

"Yeah, only now it doesn't matter." He was only getting angrier.

"Why? Why doesn't it matter?"

"Don't you see? Andy was talking with someone else on the way over, Sam mentioned the strangling on the phone."

Sookie just stared at her brother. Obviously, he had some point, but she was not capable of leaping to it with him in her current state. It was a strange feeling for Jason to understand more about a situation than she did.

"It is the same guy that killed Maudette and Dawn. I am off the hook now because I was at the police station when Gran died, but don't you see why he was here?"

"He was trying to kill me." It finally hit her. Her Gran had died because the killer had come after Sookie and found her grandmother instead. Sookie felt like collapsing now but found she could not move; she could not even breath. She wanted to blame Eric so badly. It was only right… if he had never shown up at Merlotte, then this would never have happened. She could focus her anger on him and not have to deal with anything else. Unfortunately, Gran had raised her better. Even if she wanted to blame him for his appearance at her work, if it weren't for her own stubbornness, their conversation could have been in private when he showed up at her house. She knew it was someone else's hate that had killed her Gran. Someone else's hate, and her own desire to try and fix things. But there was no denying that the woman would still have been alive had Sookie simply allowed the police to do their jobs.

Jason came close again, his eyes wild. "It should have been you!" He back handed her hard enough to knock the breath from her lungs again. She cowered as he came after her again, but before he could so much as raise his hand, Jason was hanging in the air by his neck. Eric, fangs out and scarier than Sookie had seen him thus far, had grabbed her brother.

One hand on her cheek, Sookie reached out to cling onto Eric's extended arm. "Please Eric, don't. He is… he is all I have left." She wanted to make her voice sound harder, sound stronger, but Sookie had nothing left but desperation.

Something Sookie said, or perhaps the complete lack of life in her, made Eric lower Jason, who promptly collapsed, trying to breathe again. Eric was studying her, but she was beyond caring. She was beyond everything.

Her Gran was dead, killed because of her own stupidity, probably by someone she had known for years. One of Sookie's best friends, and one of the few who knew the whole truth about her, had been unable to trust her with his own major secret. And now, her own brother hated her and blamed her for the death of their grandmother… and he was right to do so.

"Sookie… what he says makes sense." She misunderstood the part Eric was talking about and found out she could hurt more when she thought he also would rather her be dead. He noticed something and spoke again. "I think we need to assume the killer was, in fact, after you."

"Worried about your investment?" It was supposed to sound sarcastic or angry, but it just came out as some mundane question.

"This was not my intention in visiting. You were just so damn stubborn." Had Eric just apologized? No, it wasn't really an apology, but Sookie wondered if that was as close as the vampire got. His thoughts mirrored her own so closely, she shook her head at her own folly.

She knew she was mad as hell inside somewhere, but she still couldn't get it to surface, as if her body was feeling too many emotions to handle. It was incapable of displaying any lest the overload break her.

"I must go now, but I will make this right." There was a very odd look in Eric's eyes, but on top of everything, Sookie could not hope to decipher it. Instead, she just nodded as if she believed him, knowing full well nothing could ever make this right.

"Do not mention my presence here. Or you, shifter." He looked to Sam who was standing slightly behind Sookie, looking lost himself. "It will cause too many complications, and they will not remember me anyway." Sookie would later realize that he had glamoured the few police officers who had arrived after Andy as well as Jason to simply exclude him from the scene. For her part, Sookie knew she would rather not have to explain him anyway, so she went to sit on a lawn chair for the inevitable questions of the police.

She had never felt so utterly alone.

* * *

><p>Kind of an angst-y chapter, I know. Sorry for anyone who thought I was going to save Gran… I hate to say it, but it was just easier to kill her off.<p>

I was always surprised that Sookie did not think for a second about how this could all be construed as Bill's fault, but I figured this would be her rational if the thought had crossed her mind. Sookie has always struck me as a person who is more likely to take guilt on herself that blame others.

Anywho, hope you all like it, happier times to come, I promise!


	6. Chapter 6

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

In the interest of everyone's sanity, I will be assuming knowledge on the part of the reader and skipping over some Sookie sections of the book which would not have been much affected. I feel it unnecessary to repeat what you all have no doubt already read or watched.

If you are worried about the length, know that I intend for this to cover at least the first two books, maybe three.

**Forewarning:** More of Sam in this chapter, but I stand by what I say. Sam is simply a foil to keep things interesting. **Do not hate me!**

* * *

><p>For all that Jason stood next to her at the wake and the funeral, she may as well have been a stranger occupying the same space. He spoke to her only when absolutely necessary, and even then it was with a coldness Sookie had never heard coming from her brother. The fact that Gran had left the house solely to Sookie did not warm the relationship.<p>

She spent the next few days going through her Gran's room, and Arlene even showed up to help. By the end, she had actually moved into the large room, trying to own the house for herself.

Sam had made it very clear he did not want her to worry about work for as long as she needed, but after about three days, she could not take the solitude of her home anymore. She was not quite happy to return, that was too strong of an emotion for her still. It was more like relieved. She needed to stay busy.

For a good week, she worked harder than she ever had. Drinks never went unfilled, and tables were spotless as soon as they were empty. She managed to plaster her Crazy Sookie smile on her face and accept condolences from everyone in Bon Temps, but she soon noticed people tended to just not look at her for too long, as if her pain might transfer to them if they stared. Every night, she went home exhausted and just managed to shower before crawling in bed and passing out.

Most importantly, Sookie managed to avoid Sam Merlotte. No mean feat when the man is your boss and works all the same shifts, but while she saw him, Sookie did not exchanged more than the customary greetings/farewells and drink orders. Several times, he asked her to come his office when she had a moment, but she always seemed to suddenly become very busy with something that had to be taken care of immediately.

It came as little surprise to her when, on her first day off, she saw Sam's truck pull up in the driveway. Sookie had just finished lunch in front of the TV, a new habit to fill in the silence. She wondered if he had seen her. Gran would have been horrified as her granddaughter actually began to sneak back towards the bedroom to hide. A knock at the door only made her pause momentarily before she took off again very carefully along the old floors.

"Sookie, I know you're there. Your car is outside, and I can hear…"

She could have cursed, but it was one thing to be a coward when no one knew and another entirely to get called out on it.

"Please talk to me, Cher."

Glad she had actually gotten dressed, even if it was just some khaki shorts and a t-shirt that still fit her from high school, she opened the door.

They both just stood there for a moment. Sookie clearly blocking the doorway and not wanting to be the one to break the silence.

"Can I come in?" He had the good grace to look sheepish.

"No Sam, I don't think that's a good idea." Again, Gran would be appalled, but Sookie knew this conversation was bound to end badly. She did not feel like playing hostess for it.

Sam nodded as if he understood, though he still looked mildly hopeful.

"You've been avoiding me." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah."

"I know it was really shitty timing." Sam was looking at the porch.

"Yeah, it was… about three years too late."

Sam visibly cringed at the venom in Sookie's words. This anger was the most emotion she had allowed herself in days.

"That is fair, Cher."

"You're damn right it's fair, Sam Merlotte!" This is why she had been avoiding him.

"I always wanted to tell you. It's just such a big deal, and no one really knows bout us."

"Oh really Sam? I have no idea what that must be like for you. To be different from everyone else around you. To have no one understand a part of you. To have a secret that you can't tell people around you because don't know how they'll react to you, if they'll hate you for it."

Sam was literally hunching further in on himself with every sentence she spoke. Maybe he didn't understand how this conversation was going to go.

"Only, I did Sam… I trusted _you_! Even though I knew it could very well not only push you away but get me fired from the best job I ever had, I told you! But you couldn't extend the same courtesy to me!"

"Cher, it isn't just my secret. There are others like me, and we aren't out like the vampires." Her jaw actually dropped as he told her this excuse, like it would make everything okay.

"I hear people's secret thoughts every day of my life. I've been keeping dark secrets since I was a little girl… for people I don't even like, and you didn't think that I would protect you? Really Sam, how little do you think of me?" She practically spit the words at him. A sensible part of her mind told her she was overreacting, but the anger felt good. She needed to release some emotion, and this was the easiest. Not to mention, he had come looking for it.

"You know that ain't what I meant." He was trying to backpedal now, but he had effectively put himself in a no win situation.

"Really Sam, what'd you mean? Please, explain it to Crazy Sookie in terms she can understand." Every part of her knew that was a low blow.

"Stop it, Sookie! You know I don't think that you are crazy." He looked like she had slapped him.

"Really, cause I am starting to believe it myself. After all, I thought I knew who you were, turns out even a mind reader can be surprised." They both just stood there. Sookie desperately trying to control her breathing as her chest rose and feel with all the emotion she had been spewing out, and Sam anxiously attempting to find the words that would fix this but coming up blank.

"Just leave Sam… I want to be able to keep working for you, and at this rate, you'll either have to fire me, or I'll have to quit." He stood in stunned silence, and Sookie shut the door without waiting to see if he did as she said.

Sookie had unblocked the dam that had been holding back her emotions with the anger at Sam, and as she sat down on the couch, everything came flooding out. She had no idea how long she had been sitting on her couch when the sound of whining and scratching at her front door finally caught her attention.

Wiping at the tears that would not cease, she looked out the window but didn't see anyone. Being the middle of the day, her thoughts were far away from any worries as to who might be there, so she opened the door.

As soon as it was cracked, a beautiful collie made its way through the opening and went over to hop up on her couch. Sookie stared in disbelief as it nosed the cushion next to it as if he wanted her to sit.

"Sam?" Her voice had that wretched sound from when you have been crying too long, like a coughing hiccup.

The dog barked once, and then nuzzled the cushion again. She had understood the concept of what he told he was. I mean, after the vampires had made their existence know, it had not seemed like that much of a stretch that other creatures from myths were real. However, seeing her boss sitting on her couch as a collie was definitely shocking.

As if on auto-pilot, she went to sit next to him, staring into his still intelligent eyes. He surprised a laugh out of her as he licked her tear-stained cheeks with his rough tongue. Once he had cleared away all the trails, he put his paws on her thigh, laying his head down in her lap as any pet might.

All her anger towards him was deflated, how could any be mad at such a beautiful animal? She gently stroked the soft fur on his head, and the dog closed his eyes. Sookie was having a very hard time remembering this was Sam.

The expenditure of energy from her tirade was catching up to her. Between the warmth of the dog in her lap, and the feel of his silky fur between her fingers, Sookie quickly found herself nodding off, until she was completely out.

Some time later, Sookie woke to the soothing feeling of someone running their fingers through her hair. Making a contented noise, she nuzzled in closer to the warmth. Fingers… Sookie shot up, wondering where the shotgun was before her eyes focused on Sam. Almost all of Sam.

Her boss sat on her Gran's couch what Sookie had to assume was stark naked but for the conveniently placed pillow her head had just been on. Her eyes widened considerably. This was the most of any man she had ever seen in real life. The same color reddish hair that he so often ran his hands through on his head when he was nervous or concerned covered his chest, trailing down to disappear beneath the pillow. Cheeks bright red, Sookie went to study the ceiling.

"What happened to the collie?" She knew it was a stupid question, but it just kind of popped out in the awkward silence.

"Transforming kind of tires me out, and I still have to work tonight." He was acting very passé for being naked.

"Why didn't you get dressed?" That was a much better question.

"I did actually try to get up once, but you just kind of held on to me. You really seemed like you needed someone, so I just stayed put."

"Well, I'm not stopping you now, go put 'em on!"

"Do you promise to talk to me if I do?" Was he blackmailing her with his nudity? "And actually let me talk this time?"

"Yes! Just go put something on!"

Without ceremony, he stood up, dropping the pillow. Suddenly, the ceiling was not nearly high enough, and Sookie actually clamped her hands over her eyes,though too late. She heard Sam's pleased laughter retreating as he went back out on the porch. Again, she was glad not to have neighbors.

Once she heard the porch door open for his exit, she waited a moment longer then took her hands away, looking over at the clock. It was only two pm, so she had not been asleep on him that long. Still, it was disconcerting to fall asleep with a puppy and wake up with a naked man. Why couldn't she live a normal life?

Sam returned with pants on but shirt still in his hands. He made a show of putting it back on, but not buttoning it. Had he noticed her staring at his chest? Sookie figured turn about was fair play, how many men had stared at hers? Of course, she had never been naked in front of a man. It did seem different now that she thought about it, but from the smile on Sam's face, he was not minding.

Sookie pointedly looked forward and began talking as she had a tendency to do when she was nervous.

"So do you always turn into a dog?"

"No, unlike weres who become a specific animal, shifters can become anything as long as they see it before they change. I just keep a book open to that one."

"And you can change any time?"

"Yeah, well, we have to change on the full moon, but other than that…"

"What does it feel like? What's the coolest animal you have become? Have you ever flown?"

"Sookie, I thought you were going to let me talk." Any annoyance was covered by laughter at her onslaught of questions.

"You are talking…" It sounded childish even to her.

"Cher…"

"Fine." She crossed her arms, trying not to look like she was pouting.

Sookie was pushed back farther onto the couch as Sam's hand tangled in her hair, and he surprised her with a kiss. Sookie found her lips parting in response, but after a minute of what Sookie considered very good kissing, Sam was the one to separate. It was at that point Sookie realized her hands were in his hair as well. Embarrassed, she actually sat on them after disentangling herself, afraid they might betray her again. She had been angry at him not hours before.

"You said you were going to talk." She accused him.

He only laughed at her, scooting back a little. "Oh, my tongue was definitely doing some talking."

Sookie's mouth dropped open, and Sam lightly pushed up on her chin to get her to close it. "I'm sorry; you're right. I'll talk."

"I know I messed up Sookie. In a whole bunch of ways, but I really like you. The whole thing with Eric just showed me what an idiot I was being. If it hadn't been him, someone else would've noticed how wonderful you are. I am just here to let you know that I see it, and I really want to be more than your boss."

Sookie sighed; she knew she should not have let him talk. "Sam… your timing really does suck."

"I know, Cher."

"You are a really great guy, and obviously, I enjoy kissing you." That got her the laugh she wanted before the big _but_. "But with everything that is going on in my life right now, the last thing I need to do is start a new relationship. Especially one that could mess up the one constant in my life. Work is keeping me sane right now, and no matter what you say, you're still my boss. There is just some stuff I have to work out. Once that is all taken care of, who knows, but I don't want you to put your life on hold waiting for me."

"I understand, Cher, but understand this. When you get everything figured out, I will be there for you." The sincerity in his eyes was overwhelming, and Sookie had to look away first.

"One more thing before I head off to work."

"You better not kiss me again!"

He smiled at that. "I am going to be staying at your house until the killer is caught."

"Sam, no!" Sookie had always prided herself on her independence.

"I know you are your own woman, but you shouldn't be messing around with this. You can try to keep me out if you want, but one glance at an ant, and I am inside your house. Then you have a naked man to deal with in the morning."

"Sam!" That was most definitely blackmail.

"I know, Cher. I'm not playing fair, but you're all alone out here, and I couldn't stand it if something happened to you. So, you going to make this easy?" He left the "or" hanging in the air between them.

"Fine! But know that this is not helping your standing with me!"

"That's alright; it's worth it to keep you safe."

Sookie stood in a huff to let him out of the house. "I'll see you tonight Cher."

"You're sleeping upstairs, and I'm locking my door!"

"That's fine. See you tonight." He seemed to want some kind of confirmation.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." With that, she practically pushed him out of the door.

* * *

><p>It was later than she had wanted to be up when Sam finally showed up on her front porch. She spent all of two minutes trying to convince him to just go home and sleep, but they were both too tired to put any real effort into the argument. And Sookie did have to admit that she felt better knowing someone was there, for all that she didn't like the way he went about doing it. She had looked for the shotgun earlier that day and couldn't find it. Jason was ignoring her calls, so she had no idea if he had moved it somewhere.<p>

Sam trudged up to bathroom as Sookie went to lock herself in her room as she had promised, but she was interrupted by the phone ringing.

Maybe Jason had heard her message and decided it was important enough to call back. "Hello?" It was very strange for her to be getting a call this late, even if it was Jason.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine… who is this?" The man on the other end sounded an odd mixture of angry and almost concerned. It should have been a good hint to her, but she was pretty tired.

"Who is in your house?"

"That's none of your business, Sir… wait, how'd you know there was someone in my house?" Now she was indignant and a little creeped out, though the caller's identity still hadn't hit her.

"Did you really think after everything I have said I would just let the murderer come back for you some other night?"

"Eric!" Her exasperation got the better of her, and in a huff, she slammed the phone back onto the receiver.

Almost immediately, she regretted the decision. She had not actually gotten an answer to what was a very important question, so when the phone rang again, as much as she wanted to unplug it from the wall, she answered it.

"Don't do that again." It was angry Eric again.

"Stop ignoring my questions!" It was much easier to sound angry when the probably glaring 6'4" vampire was not in the same room breathing down your neck.

"I did not ignore your question, you simply did not understand my implication."

"Eric, I'm not in the mood!"

"Sookie, make sure to let me know as soon as you are in the mood." His voice was practically dripping with the innuendo. Sookie was bound to get whiplash from speaking with him one of these days. From angry vampire to sexy vampire in three seconds flat.

"Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, is that all you ever think about?"

"After 1000 years, you learn to entertain several thought processes at the same time. However, that particular train of thought happens to be one of my favorites."

"Can you be serious for two seconds? How do you know there's someone in my house?"

"I have someone watching the house. Now, who is there?" She would come back to the first part, but it seemed hardly right to not answer his question after he had answered hers.

"Sam is here; he was worried about me, so he is going to be staying at night until the killer is caught."

Had Eric just growled? "I knew I should not have agreed to your terms." And back to angry Eric.

"Well, you did, and I am safe here with Sam. So whoever is there in the woods can just go on home!" Now that she was looking, Sookie could feel the void that existed for every vampire outside her house towards the back. It seemed like her telepathy had gotten more of a work out since she met Eric than in the past 20 years.

"Is there something going on between you two?"

Sam took that opportunity to walk out of the bathroom in just a towel and head off towards the guest room. Sookie turned bright red and whirled around.

"I don't know, Eric. You tell me since you seem to know so damn much!" Again, she hung up the phone, but this time she did actually yank the cord out of the wall before he could call back.

When she turned around, Sam looked like he was about to start talking to her, still bare chested in his towel. Sookie sent him what she hoped was a frightening glare.

"Well, y'all can just make all your little plans without consulting me, but I am going to bed!" Without another word, she went into her room and childishly slammed the door before slinging herself on the bed.

* * *

><p>Hopefully, this was enough of a mix of whimsy and seriousness not to be too angst-y after the last chapter. I know I had fun writing it!<p>

Please remember that Sookie is a girl in her 20's who can hardly have contact with men… she just wants a little attention, and Sam is temporarily providing that! But I mean very temporarily!


	7. Chapter 7

Sam left early every morning, and Sookie made sure never to arrive or leave at the same time as him. Of course, the other employees noticed Sam's odd behavior, but after the fiasco with Jason, Sookie figured he didn't want to drag her name through the mud anymore than it already had been.

Sookie was resolutely holding on to her anger at both Eric and Sam. Though she had not gotten another phone or seen the vampire, the constant reminder of Sam's company and the continual presence of a void in her woods at night was enough to keep her feelings fresh. The morning after her phone conversation, a note had been left on her front porch.

_Whenever you are finished acting like a child, remember to reconnect your phone. I have something to finish up, and then I will have business to discuss with you. I expect to be able to reach you._

_-E_

He signed only his first initial as if they were on such close terms he need not be bothered with anything more. Sookie had actually torn up the note; she figured if they were going to treat her like a child who needed to be coddled and told what to do, then she would just act the part. It was a short lived sentiment, and she felt incredibly silly for the private display afterward. She plugged back in the phone to show that she could be the more mature one.

However, after five days of not so much as a stray rabbit wandering onto her property, she was very seriously contemplating testing the power of an exterminator against a shifter. The whole bodyguard thing was beginning to look very ridiculous, and she wondered how long it could last. She had heard Andy's thoughts and knew they were now at a complete loss as to who it could be. He was even beginning to think about bringing Jason back in for Maudette and Dawn's murders.

It was the next morning that she got a very unexpected visitor.

"Hey sis…" Jason stood on the front porch with two coffees, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

"Jason?" Sookie was not quite sure if she should run lest he throw hot coffee at her or hug him, so she settled for standing there dumbfounded.

"Look, can, uh, can I come in so we can talk? I brought you coffee." He held the drink as if it were some great peace offering, and for Jason, it was.

"Yeah, sure come on in, I was just making some eggs if you want some." She took the coffee and headed back towards the kitchen knowing he would follow after the promise of food.

"That'd be great!" He didn't manage to sound quite as excited as normal, but he was following her.

Jason nursed his coffee while she scrambled up a few more eggs to go with her leftover biscuits and sausage. Once it was all ready, she fixed them both plates and sat down at the kitchen table across from him. Jason quickly built a sandwich and tucked in like a man who had been starved for weeks. Her own pace was more sedated as she waited for Jason to share the reason behind his obvious change of heart.

"Sam told me about the vampire." It was so abrupt Sookie choked on her coffee. Jason looked like he was about to come hit her on the back, but she recovered after some coughing.

"Did he?" Her voice sounded a little angry. After all, it had not been his story to tell.

"Yeah, you shoulda told me Sook."

"Funny, I distinctly remember trying to do just that before you called me a 'fangbanger' in front of half of Bon Temps."

Jason cringed at the anger in Sookie's voice. She seemed to be making people do that a lot more often these days. She did not particularly like it and sighed.

"I know, and I should have let you talk. I was just so angry."

"I understand that Jason, really, I do. I just could have really used you right then, and you turned your back on me." Maybe some cringing would be good for him because she couldn't seem to speak the truth without getting that reaction.

"Yeah…" Jason looked so sad, Sookie couldn't leave him like that.

"I am really glad you know now, and that you came over. I have really missed you." She was very glad he knew, but she wished she could have been the one to tell him.

Jason's face brightened. He was never one to stay down long. "I missed you too, Sook. But that isn't the real reason I came over. Sam told me that stuff a few days ago…"

"A few days?" She was trying not to get angry again, but what kept him? While he was processing, she was suffering.

"Yeah, sorry, I just, well, I knew I had messed up, and I couldn't face you yet." She sat still, getting a handle on her anger over her brother's cowardice. They had both suffered enough at this point, and she just wanted things back to normal.

"So what brought you over now?" Sookie was proud of how calm that sounded.

"Oh…" Jason actually reached out and put his hand on Sookie's. It was bad. "They found out who killed Gran and the other girls."

Sookie's breath left her in one giant whoosh, and she was struggling to get it back. Jason looked on worriedly, but she motioned for him to continue as she tried to remember how to breathe.

"He just walked into the Shreveport police station yesterday morning. No one even knows why he went up there. Then just started confessing. Told the police so many details, they have no doubt it had to be him. There were others, not from around here, that we didn't even know about." Jason was rambling.

"Who?" It was the only word Sookie could squeak out.

Jason removed his hand and just stared at them on the table for an excruciating minute. "Rene." It was a whisper, and Sookie could not even be sure she heard him right.

She pictured Rene standing up for her at Merlotte's, kissing Alrene, holding Coby and Lisa. Surely they were mistaken, how could that man have killed her Gran? Unbidden, his face from the library came to her mind, overshadowing the other images. The overpowering anger she had felt, someone else's anger seemed palpable once again. No, perhaps it was as surprising as it had seemed at first. In fact, she probably should have seen it. He talked about his dislike of vampires when it came up, but his thoughts had never lingered on those feelings long. Had he been hiding them from her?

"… even his own sister. In fact, she was the first one he killed." Jason had been talking the whole time, and Sookie had missed it.

"I need to talk to him Jason! I need to understand."

"Sookie…" The story was not done.

"They are allowed visitors right Jason… I just need to hear his mind Jason."

"Sookie." Jason looked at her with pity. It did not look right from her brother. "You can't."

"You could come with me Jason. He is in jail; I will be safe."

"He is dead, Sook." Again, that abruptness that shocked her into momentary silence. He gave her the minute to turn it over.

"I thought you said he was in jail!" She found her voice faster this time.

"He was. They don't really know what happened. As best as they can figure the other men in the cell found out what he did to those girls. When they went in this morning, his neck had been snapped. Only, no one is talking. None of them say they did or even saw who did. They just all woke up and he was dead."

Sookie nodded as if this made perfect sense.

"The good news is I am completely off the hook! And you are safe!" Sookie ignored the fact that the second part sounded like an afterthought. Seeing his sister's expression, Jason added. "It is really hard to believe, I know. I can't believe I was friends with that guy."

"We were all wrong about him Jason… Arlene must be devastated." There were several thoughts that wanted reign in her mind, but she knew that she needed to save them until she could break down in private. She had just gotten Jason back and like most men he didn't do well with emotional stuff. He was obviously happy to be off the hook; she did not want to ruin that for him.

"I doubt she knows. The police were keeping it hushed up because they don't know what happened. They talked to Andy since he was from here, and they needed the case information. He only told me cause I guess he figured he owed me that."

"Well, she can't just find out from the news. You were his friend." Even as she said it, she knew it was not only a bad idea, but there was no way he would do it.

"She wouldn't want to hear it from me." Jason held up his hands to stop Sookie. "Sides, she probably cry and stuff, and I wouldn't know how to comfort her."

True, Jason's normal way of "comforting" women would be very bad in this situation. Still, Sookie could not bear the thought of Arlene finding out from the gossip mill. Even if things had been strained between them because of the bite, Sookie knew she had to be the one to break the news.

"You're right Jason. I'll do it."

"Sookie, you are the best." He stood up and gave his sister a kiss on the cheek, grabbing a piece of bacon from Sookie's plate. The rest of Sookie's food lay cold and forgotten. "I gotta get to work; I just thought you'd wanna know."

"Thanks Jason. I'm glad to have you back bro."

"Glad to be back!"

* * *

><p>Arlene had not taken it well. Sookie did not think that she would. She stayed as long as she could, hugging the woman, grabbing her Kleenex and reassuring her there was no way she could have known. The hardest part was accepting her apologies. Sookie was attempting not to contemplate the fact that Arlene's boyfriend had killed her Gran, but it became increasingly hard.<p>

Luckily, she had told Arlene she would cover her lunch shift, even though that meant a double for her. No matter what Jason had said, the whole town would know soon enough, and they would congregate at Merlotte's to discuss how they had all always known there was something fishy about Rene. Arlene was in no state to be good for anything, and she should not be subjected to that.

The phone rang as Sookie was getting ready to leave.

"I wouldn't answer that if you don't have to."

Arlene didn't seem to understand. "It could be Coby or Lisa."

Sookie nodded; she understood, but she thought it was much more likely to be someone wanting to discuss the news. Either way, she did not stick around to find out.

Sam was surprised to see her, but he had already heard from the man who brought supplies from Shreveport about Rene. It had made the morning news there.

"That is real good of you Sookie, but you know you don't have to be here either. I was thinking about closing down for the day." Sam was obviously worried about her.

"Sam Merlotte, you know good and well you can't turn down the money you will make today off the buzzards."

He seemed to think that over and smiled at her reference to his patrons. "I suppose you are right."

"Plus, it ain't that different from what I been hearing in their heads these pasts weeks, only now it will be Rene instead of Jason. It'll be a relief really." Even Sookie knew she sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

"Well, I guess this means the sleepovers are done. Never did get to paint your nails or have a pillow fight…" Sookie just laughed at him. He had managed to get her to laugh on a day when she didn't think that was possible.

"Maybe if we make it through today I'll braid your hair."

"Oh, would ya?" He clapped his hands together and batted his eyelashes.

They paused the playful banter at the sound of crunching gravel. "So it begins…" Sam's eyes looked ominous.

The good people of Bon Temps had forgiven Sookie for the indiscretion with the vampire in light of the news about Rene. Which meant, of course, that they all wanted to discuss what happened with Sookie.

Fortunately for the waitress, she did not have to feign being busy. Charlsie Tooten had agreed to work a double as well to cover Arlene's other shift. Sam had trying to find another waitress with Sookie's help. She hoped it would be fast.

By the time shift ended, she was not sure if she had ever been more tired. Between her actual job and her work at keeping out of people's heads, Sookie was exhausted. Had she lived any further away, she probably would have just passed out in her car.

At first, she intended to simply take off her shoes and fall into bed, but even with as tired as she was, she was still wound pretty tight after her shift. Instead, she turned on the hot water in her bath tub and plopped herself in, the water filling around her, relaxing her muscles. Once it was full, she leaned back with a content sigh. There were few things she enjoyed more than a hot soak.

Her thoughts started to roam through everything, and she allowed the tears that had been stopped up all day fall to mingle with water around her. It felt good not to hold them in anymore. The water was beginning to cool by the time that they ceased of their own accord. Crying was always better this way because it cut down on the sniffles.

Sookie let the water drain and began the process of drying herself off. All of the sudden, a memory struck her. "I will make this right." He had said.

She practically ran to the phone before she remembered she did not know the number. The operator connected her.

"You've reached Fangtasia, where the undead live again every night, for bar hours, press one. To make a party reservation, press two. To talk to a live person or a dead vampire, press three. Or, if you were intending to leave a humorous prank message on our answering machine, know this: we will find you." Sookie thought she recognized the voice of the female vampire who had been with Eric at the bar. She went with the third option.

"Fangtasia." She sounded just as disinterested in real life as she did on the recording.

"May I speak to Eric?" Sookie tried for politeness.

"That depends, who is this?" Still bored.

"Sookie Stackhouse, ma'am."

"Oooh, Eric's human." Her voice finally held emotion, but Sookie preferred the boredom.

"I am not Eric's human!" What was it with vampire and the possessive labels?

"Oh? Well, if sweet Sookie is on the open market, sign me up. I will be over as soon as my shift ends to claim you. I would have pegged you for hetero, but I guess even the best of us can be wrong sometimes."

"Ew, no… I mean, I like men. I just don't like Eric."

"What's not to like? You think he is ugly."

"Of course not!" Sookie thought she heard laughter in the background, but it was probably just noise from the club. "I just think he is an ass hole."

The female vampire laughed at that. "Well, here he is." He must have been standing right next to her. Sookie remembered reading they had very good hearing from the website; had he heard all that?

"Well, you like men, and you think I am attractive. Both steps it the right direction." Yep, he had definitely heard it all.

"You are ignoring the part where I think you are an ass hole."

"Did you call to tell me that?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I did not."

"Well?"

"Did you… have something to do with what happened to Rene?"

"What do you mean?" Did vampires do coy? That wasn't on the website.

"You know what I mean, Eric. He just walked into a police station and confessed everything… then never walked out." Perhaps that was a little melodramatic, but having to ask a vampire if he glamoured and murdered a serial killer seemed to call for it.

"He was cutting down on our willing 'donors' with his killing, he had to be stopped."

"Eric! You can't just glamour people like that."

"Obviously, I am quite capable with everyone except you. Besides, he admitted nothing but the truth. I simply expedited the process."

Sookie did not actually have an reply to give to that. He was right about the confession as far as Sookie knew, and he may have actually saved lives, including her own.

"But he was in the jail, why did you have someone kill him?"

"Who said someone else killed him?"

"But you said a vampire could not kill without draining."

"I am not just any vampire." She understood the implication, but had to be sure.

"Are you saying you killed him?"

"Yes." He said it so matter-of-factly.

"But why?"

He paused for a moment at her question. "Why did I do it myself, or why was he killed?"

"Either, both!" Sookie was used to his bored tone, but the sense of his otherness grew as he sounded that way while discussed the death of another being.

"Well, I did it myself so his blood would not be shed. No vampire should take that into himself… and he was killed because the trial could have been bad publicity for us."

"You killed him because he might be bad for your image?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"And because…" The pause felt like forever, Sookie actually wondered if the call had dropped. "He hurt you." Eric did not sound bored anymore. He sounded pissed.

"You killed him because he hurt me?"

"Is it necessary for you to repeat me?"

Sookie just stood staring at the phone in her hand. There was no real way for her brain to deal with that information.

"Sookie?" Sookie was having a very hard time deciphering his tone.

"Yes?"

"I will be in contact with you again soon. I have a job for you, but I do not want to discuss it over the phone." He was bored again.

"Alright."

Click.

* * *

><p>Alright, I know that the ending of this arc was a little more anti-climatic than the books, but I went over and over and just didn't see Eric standing idly by while something of his was threatened. He feels incredibly possessive of Sookie, abnormally so. Anywho, there you have it!<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

The phone was already ringing when Sookie entered the house after another closing shift.

"Hello." She had run to catch the hone and was a little breathless as a result.

"That excited to talk to me?" Sookie could practically hear his smirk.

"Not really Eric." She made her own voice sound extra bored with a sigh at the end.

"Have you been ignoring my calls?" The smirk must be gone because she could not tell what that tone was.

"Contrary to what you may believe my world doesn't revolve around helping, or annoying, you. I have been at work all night, so that I can make a living."

"I don't believe the world revolves around me. I simply find the day-to-day happenings of humans to be trivial." He paused as if in contemplation. "Do you not have a cell phone?" He sounded disbelieving. Obviously, the 1000 year-old vampire was more technologically advanced than Sookie.

"No…" She had wanted one considering how much time she spent away from her house, but there was no way she could afford one.

"I thought not."

"What? You think we don't know about them out here." Something about Eric made Sookie feel like everything he said was either an innuendo or an insult.

"I simply meant I had not been able to find a cell number listed for you, when your home and work were easy enough to find. I had momentarily wondered if my people were simply inept, but it makes more sense that you do not have one."

"Oh." Now who looked dumb?

"But I did not call to discuss your phone usage."

It had been over a week since their last conversation when Eric had mentioned that he would have a use for her disability, but Sookie had assumed it was either cleared up or unimportant. Apparently, that was not the case because his voice had quickly become serious.

"I require you to come to the club tomorrow night." It was definitely not a request.

"I can't. I am scheduled to work tomorrow. Can we do it another day?"

"You said you would work for me…" Angry Eric was beginning to creep out. Sookie could tell he was not used to hearing "no" or even "wait" for that matter.

"I did, but I can't afford to lose out on the tips from a closing shift."

"Was I not clear? I have asked you to work for me."

"Wait, you're going to pay me?" The idea struck her for the first time. Eric seemed so "my way or the highway", the thought that he might pay her had not even crossed her mind.

"Of course. Although, if you like, we could simply exchange favors. It would be well worth it for you."

"Gross, Eric. Be serious."

"Oh, I am."

Sookie sighed in exasperation. His incessant need to mess with her on this subject was wearing.

"Fine, how does $750 for a few hours work sound? I would not require you until 10."

It would be a Monday night, so Sam probably wouldn't need her for the whole night. And Sookie couldn't clear that much in tips even on a good night. Surely, Sam would understand.

"Alright, tomorrow night it is."

"No negotiation? I was looking forward to a little tangle with you." The man could find a double entendre in anything.

"Honestly Eric, I have no idea what the going hourly rate is for a telepath, but $750 sounds great to me!"

"I have a feeling your hourly rate would be much higher, Miss Stackhouse." Even Sookie had to admit she had kind of walked right into that one.

"That cannot be bought, Mr. Northman."

"Everyone has a price; I just have to figure out what yours is."

"What it requires you can't give me."

"Oh really, and what would that be?"

"Love…" It had the effect she hoped it would. Even vampires were scared of that word, or at least it would seem so from his silence. Sookie mentally patted herself on the back; she did not feel as if she often got the upper hand with Eric. She had really been thinking of a relationship, but she didn't want to leave Eric any openings.

"I will see you tomorrow night." Sookie could not tell if that was supposed to be his angry or bored voice. It ended up somewhere in between.

Then, the line went dead. She was beginning to wonder if the lack of a good-bye was a vampire thing or if he was getting her back for doing that to him.

Things were so complicated now. Part of her was still hanging on to the fact that Eric had played a part in her Gran's death, even if she could not directly blame him for it. Only now, he had tracked down Gran's murderer, cleared Jason by having Rene admit to everything, and then carried out Eric's own sense of justice. She knew she should be angrier at him for what he had done, but it was so hard to be upset that the man who had stolen the most important person in her life from her was dead. Rene deserved what he got, even if he hadn't gotten it how he should have.

She still had no clue on Eric's reasoning behind it all, and whenever she tried to think about it, it just gave her a headache. She had finally come to the conclusion that he considered her as some sort of employee with inherent value and did not want her to be hindered whether physically or mentally so she could perform whatever jobs he had in mind. It seemed a simple enough explanation, and it did not leave her with all of the questions any other explanation did. In the weeks that he had let her be, Sookie had plenty of time to wonder what she would do if he did call for her help. After a lot of back and forth, she had finally decided she could work for the vampire. Even though his sense of morality was obviously very different from her own, he did seem to have one.

Even so, she knew that she could never be friends with the vampire. Sookie was quickly realizing how very different their worlds must be, and she did not see a way to reconcile them. Usually, Sookie was one to see the good in everyone, but her introduction into the new society had been so violent, she was having trouble. However, if he was willing to pay her that well just for making use of her disability, she knew she would try exist in between to keep her family home. What did her pastor always say? "In it, not of it." That would be her motto.

* * *

><p>"Are you Sookie Stackhouse?"<p>

"Yes." The deliveryman had knocked on her door unexpectedly earlier than she cared to see other people. She figured was more documents from her Gran's estate.

"Sign here, please." The please was polite enough, but he seemed incapable of looking her in the eyes. Sookie was resolutely trying to ignore the commentary on her attributes which he may as well have been screaming at her.

"Thanks." She said it more for the custom than any sense of gratitude. After all, he was still staring at her chest when he handed her the package which was too small to hold legal documents.

As his imagination began to get the better of him, Sookie shut the door on him. He deserved it. She headed towards the kitchen to get away from him. Walls, unfortunately, did not block thoughts.

She grabbed a knife when the tape would not cooperate. Inside the box was a small red cell phone and a charger. It wasn't as fancy as some she had seen, but it was shiny and new. She ran her fingers over the tiny buttons. As she pulled it out, she noticed a note underneath.

_Keep this on you at all times, in case I need to reach you. –E_

Sookie had not realized that a gift could be high handed, but Eric had managed it. Still, she was a little sad she could not keep it. It was very pretty for a phone.

* * *

><p>"Cher, we are dead, and I doubt we are going to get any better."<p>

Sookie had planned to go straight to Fangtasia from work but this would give her some time to herself. She could even eat some dinner instead of just grabbing some fries.

"That would be great!" Her only table had just left. "Wish me luck!"

"Do me a favor? Give me a call when you get back." Sam's eyes were serious again.

At first, Sam had been against the whole idea. He had tried to talk her out of going, said he would find a way to separate her from the vampires. She doubted his ability to actually do that, though she did not tell him. However, once she mentioned the money, he seemed to understand. He knew that she now had to take care of the house all on her own which had strained her already minimal income past its limits. Maybe the fact that it seemed to be a business transaction eased his mind a little, but he still wasn't completely okay with it. Sookie knew he wished he could go with her. Hell, she wished he could too.

"Sam, I have no idea how long it will take. I could get home real late."

"I doubt I'll be able to sleep till I know you are safe."

"If you're sure…"

"I'm positive."

Sookie had cleaned up her tables while they spoke. It didn't take much.

"Thanks again, Sam."

"Anything,Cher."

She drew up a plan as she drove. Her time was short, so she needed to make sure that she could cram everything she wanted in. If nothing else, it would be nice not to show up in her stained Merlotte's uniform.

Once home, she started some spaghetti sauce and noodles, adding a little more garlic salt. She had thought about dousing it and maybe making some garlic bread, but that seemed like overkill.

However, what she was cooking could sit on the stove unattended while she took a quick shower. It wasn't one of the long showers she enjoyed so much, but at least she felt clean and alive again by the time she exited.

Putting her dinner together was simple, and she ate quickly. The meal was hearty though lonely. It was hard to always be cooking for one, but she made sure to divvy up the rest of the food for leftovers before sticking them in the freezer. Then she just had to clean everything up. Gran had instilled in her the principle of never leaving for tomorrow what could be done today, especially when it came to cleaning.

Once back in her room, Sookie put her hair up in a bun and found a nice white blouse and some black dress slacks that she probably bought for interviews. A pair of red heels gave her an extra boost of height that she need when facing Eric Northman. She also kept on all of her silver jewelry. To a vampire, she hoped her entire ensemble, and possible faint garlic scent, said "I want to look nice because this is business, but not for you." Or at the very least, she hoped it could get across the _do not bite _point.

* * *

><p>The drive was pleasantly uneventful. Sookie had really been enjoying her last ration of uneventful days. Life had gotten way too exciting, way too fast for the little waitress from Bon Temps.<p>

The parking lot to Fangtasia was mostly empty save for a red sports car and a few other less flashy cars. However, they still all seemed to be very nice. Her own car, which was barely holding on to life, looked even worse in comparison.

The closed bar managed to look incredibly ominous, which was not helping her nerves. Her heart was already beating much faster as she exited the car. The front lights were all off, but there was one on over the employee entrance. Hesitantly, she knocked, but someone must have heard because the door opened.

"Sookie Stackhouse, it is so nice to smell you again." Pam leaned uncomfortably close to gather in the shorter girl's scent. It only lasted a moment before Pam pulled back. "That is a horrid perfume you are wearing."

Sookie had been distracted by the pink tracksuit that Pam was sporting. A far cry from the black velvety thing she had been wearing when they first met. Sookie couldn't help but think of a vampire Barbie with her different outfits for work and exercising in.

"I'm not wearing any perfume." Sookie smiled innocently at the woman, still waiting to be asked in.

"Right this way." Pam no longer seemed as pleased. "Eric is waiting."

Sookie entered what she assumed was his office. It was incredibly plain. The walls were the same grey as the club, and Sookie could not tell much about him from the few decorations. Already inside the room were Long Shadow, also sporting the gym look, and a very frightened man huddling on the chair in front of Eric's desk. Sookie immediately felt sorry for the poor man. Eric sat behind the desk, busy with some papers sitting before him.

"Is your phone broken?"

"What? No, at least, I don't think so." Sookie was confused by the abrupt question.

"I called, and it went straight to the preset voicemail. Do you need someone to set it up for you?" He still had not looked up, and Sookie was getting annoyed by his rudeness once she figured out Eric was talking about the cell.

"No. I did not turn it on."

"I realize I did not specify that in my note, Sookie, but really, I thought it would have been obvious that it needed to be on." Now, he sounded peeved.

"Yes, Mr. Northman, I had figured that out." She had decided she was going to stick with the business aspect of this endeavor and keep some formality. "However, I cannot accept the phone."

He looked up at that.

"Why not, Miss Stackhouse?"

"It was too expensive for a gift, and I cannot afford the monthly bill anyway." She looked at him defiantly.

Eric leaned back in his chair. Something managing to look like a lion relaxing in his den. Sookie sighed; it was really not fair.

"Miss Stackhouse, did you not think perhaps I sent you the phone as part of our business arrangement? I prefer to be able to get in touch with all of my employees at any time. As such, I had the phone and plan purchased for you."

"Oh…" That made much more sense now that she thought about it, and she was feeling silly once again. Of course, Eric would not have gotten her a gift. He did not really seem like the gift-giving kind of vamp, if there was such a thing. Sookie was unconvinced.

"Now, if that is settled, can we move on to the business at hand?" Eric was obviously trying to keep it professional as well. Or maybe the garlic smell was worse than she thought. She was beginning to regret that bit of childishness, even if only Pam had commented. His business and irritated faces seemed oddly similar. Perhaps stern was the word for it.

"We have recently discovered that $60,000 was stolen from the business. You are to talk to the humans who work here and find out who did it."

"How do you know it was a human?" The question was logical enough, but Sookie regretted airing it as she heard Long Shadow and Pam move. Eric's presence had become palpable as it weighed on the room. They stopped, but she suddenly felt very alone and very human.

"I supposed that is a possibility." He spoke slowly as if this really had not occurred to him. "Pam and Long Shadow are both partners, so if you find nothing from the humans we will have to make other arrangements."

"What'll happen once I find out who did it?" She wanted to move away from vampire guilt.

"We will take care of it."

"What do you mean?"

"That is not your concern."

"Like hell it ain't. You can't just go around killing people." Of course, she was thinking of Rene. "If anything is discovered because of what I hear, then that information needs to go to the police for legal justice. And I mean, full legal justice, not just killing them in jail."

"Anymore caveats you would like to add."

"Oh yeah, no biting me!" She pointed her finger at him like her Gran had always told her not to.

"What if you ask me to?" The innocent look did not hold well on his face, and it somehow became sexy, which was a disconcerting transition, to say the least.

"If, Mr. Northman, hell freezes over, and I ask you to, then yes, you may."

"When that day comes, and I promise you it will, I will remind you of this day." Sookie found his self-assurance to be taxing. She just shrugged her shoulders; this looked to be one of those points where they would have to agree to disagree.

"So, let me make sure I understand this. Not only do you require me to leave your friends and family unharmed, but you also demand that I leave things to the local police force, and I do not feed from you?"

Sookie managed not to laugh, but it was a near thing. She had not realized that she had somehow become involved in the vampire mafia. There were no other business transactions where she could imagine those stipulations having to ever be made.

"Yes, Mr. Northman."

"But then you will work for me whenever I require."

"I will use my ability to read minds, yes." She wanted to be very clear on that point.

"We have an agreement then. You may start with him."

The man had been lost in the conversation, impressed with the little girl who seemed to be holding her own against Eric. Of course, when she said that she could read minds, he had begun to wonder if that was some sort of a joke, or if she was a freak.

"Would it be possible for me to be left alone with him? You all are making him nervous, and it will be hard for him to focus. Not to mention the voids are distracting for me."

"Voids?" Eric asked quizzically.

"That is what y'all feel like to me. It isn't just that I can't hear you, but there is just this… void."

"I cannot give you total privacy, but Pam and Long Shadow will step outside."

Pam and Long Shadow did not look happy with this turn of events. Both stood still for a moment as if an argument might break out, but Eric just raised his eyebrows. They both made their way towards the door, Pam with an audible huff.

"Is that better Miss Stackhouse?"

"It will do, Mr. Northman."

"Would you just call me Eric? Northman is not my real name. I use it to make humans comfortable. We did not have surnames when I was human." She was not quite sure why he was asking this of her when she was human, but it only seemed polite.

"Sure, sorry." The next question popped out unbidden. "You really are that old?"

Eric smirked. "Yes, your history books would consider me a Viking."

"I'll bet they would." His smile grew at that, and she cleared her throat to regain her composure. It would be hard for any woman to be completely immune to all his looks, especially when he had that sparkle in his eye. If he would have let her, she would have loved to ask him more about his history, but she was definitely not there for that.

"Alright, so…"

"Sookie, this is Bruce. You can start by listening to him."

And she did. It was hard at first; she had never really tried to find out something specifically like this before. Sure, she had snuck a peak when someone was already thinking about something she wanted to know, but she had to direct Bruce to the proper thoughts. It was easier once she placed her hand on him to try and calm him. He had no idea who would have been stupid enough to take the money. Once Sookie was sure, she told Eric, who told Pam to bring in the next one without raising his voice.

Obviously, vampire hearing was good enough that it was actually useless keeping Pam and Long Shadow outside. They must have heard it all anyway, but Sookie still felt better without the overwhelming vampire presence. Bruce left looking slightly when he realized he was going to leave the room alive. His thoughts clearly said he did not believe Eric would be handing anyone over to the police, and Sookie silently hoped he was wrong.

The next woman in was the waitress Sookie had seen on her first visit. If she recognized Sookie, she gave no indication. She did gave Eric a flirty greeting before sitting suggestively on the chair next to the one Sookie had taken while talking to Bruce. Sookie was appalled by the behavior but did not let it show on her face.

"Ginger, you are to answer Sookie's questions." His expression did not even make it to the usual haughty boredom, it was simply stone.

"Yes, master." Sookie visibly cringed at the title, and Ginger shot her a nasty look. The girl was not going to be joining her fan club.

Still, politeness won out in Sookie. "Ginger, may I touch your hand?"

"No!" It sounded as if she may have wanted to attach another word to the end of that statement as to what she thought of Sookie but refrained.

Eric actually snarled, and Ginger immediately put her hand out. So much for politeness. Sookie grabbed her wrist, not wanting to hold her hand.

"Did you take the money?" Without warning, the other waitress began to scream and yell obscenities at Sookie.

"There's something wrong. She knows who did it, but she can't say, can't remember even. It is like that has been taken from her. He has bitten her."

"So, it is a vampire, and a strong one at that." Sookie jumped. She had not realized he had moved, much less that he was right beside her. The anger in his voice made her uncomfortable with his proximity.

"Is there someone else who works here who knows her? A friend?"

"Pam, bring in Belinda." Eric pulled Ginger out of the chair and over to the corner. He was not exactly comforting her, but she had at least stopped crying. Sookie was glad that Ginger would not be the first thing that Belinda saw; it would be unnerving.

Pam deposited Belinda who was watching Eric in the corner with Ginger behind him. Her sniffles were muffled by his frame but not cut off. So much for not creating panic. Still, Sookie could do this, or she hoped she could.

"Belinda..." Sookie called the friend's attention back as she took her hand. The gravity of the situation seemed to have dawned on the woman, and she did not pull away. "I need to know who Ginger was seeing." She clarified as a number of faces flashed before her. "Someone from the bar maybe?"

Belinda's mind settled on a single face even as her mind spoke the name, and Sookie knew this would be bad before she ever opened her mouth to tell Eric. Only she was not even able to make a sound.

The door crashed open, and before she could hope to react, Long Shadow was on her. She did not hear the sizzle of flesh, but she felt it as he threw himself away from her and the silver jewelry that was burning him Under her own weight now, she collapsed. In the background, she heard a grunt and then something kind of liquid splashing on the ground, but it was hard to focus on anything other than the blood that she could feel flowing from her neck. This shirt was definitely going to be ruined.

Suddenly, Eric was in front of her looking very… worried? That must have been the blood loss distorting her vision. He was talking to her, and she knew she needed to pay attention. However, she was in shock and only could stare at him blankly.

"Sookie, you need to drink my blood."

That got through the haze. She had no intention of drinking anyone's blood, much less Eric's.

"No…" Why did that sound like a gurgle to her?

"Sookie, this is not a discussion. You need my blood, or you will die." Belinda had been ordered, or maybe glamoured, by Pam to remove Sookie's necklace and bracelet, but now she didn't see either waitress.

Eric bit deep into wrist. Before Sookie could argue anymore, he had situated them both so she was leaning against him, cradled against his chest, with his wrist to her lips. The room was quickly growing darker, but she shook her head stubbornly. She was fairly certain he had poked her wound when she gasped in pain, and she felt his blood slip into her mouth. She had no chance to complain as she blacked out from the pain and blood loss.

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><p>"Mmmm…" She was not completely sure where the sound had come from her. She could feel a rumbling at her back that she could not place but was insanely distracted by the feeling of a tongue tracing lines along her shoulder. A wonderful chill shivered through her body as she unwittingly leaned closer. The tongue was cool and slid across her skin in slow, methodical drags. "Mmmm…" It was definitely her that time. A stab of pleasure in her lower abdomen shocked her fully into reality.<p>

The entire night's events hit her at once, and Sookie jumped to her feet much faster than should have been possible. She felt a little light headed but stood her ground, moving her shirt and bra strap back onto her shoulder.

She desperately wanted to smack that self-satisfied smile off Eric's face as he licked the last of her blood off his lips. There was no reason he should look so attractive doing that. It had suddenly become incredibly hot in the room, and Sookie had to keep stopping herself from reaching up to stroke her neck.

Eric kept watching her hand move up before resettling with extreme interest. He taken his shirt off at some point, maybe because of all the blood? He looked like he posing for a photo shoot, one arm casually strewn across the couch on which he was leaning. Sookie realized her breathing was much too quick for someone who had almost died.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" She had to hold on to her anger and ignore the other unhealthy feelings that were coursing through her body.

"The wound needed to be closed. My saliva sealed the wound, and my blood will heal it."

His sentence was aggravatingly sincere and calm. She hated that there was no real arguing with that, and he had just saved her life. No matter how smug he was about it now. She really should have thanked him.

"You did not seem to be complaining at the time." There was the Eric she knew… and could deal with. Odd, that lewd Eric should be the one she could handle.

"I was unconscious!"

"Maybe you should go off instinct more often. I know I enjoyed it."

Face bright red, Sookie turned to walk out the door. There was a puddle of red liquid that she knew she was going to figure out later, but Sookie decided now was not the time to worry about it. She had been through enough already. When she drew her eyes away, Eric was blocking the door, his eyes burning through her.

"Where are you going?" His voice managed to combine smoldering and angry.

"Home." Her voice came out in a quiet squeak under the power of his gaze.

"No." Something shifted inside Sookie's mind. Suddenly, Eric's mind was open to her, and it was not comforting. Everything was so instinctual, and all he could think about was her blood and her body. The possessive tone of his thoughts brought her up short, and she actually took a step away from him. Her blood was like nothing he had tasted, and hewas not satisfied after his small taste tonight. Just as quickly as she saw his thoughts, he once again became an emptiness. Eric seemed to notice something change; he hesitated under whatever he was feeling from her.

"Ginger! Eric needs you!" Sookie seized the opportunity by calling in a more willing companion. The girl could not have shown up faster had she been glamoured. Next thing Sookie knew, Ginger was plastered to Eric's side, whispering in his ear. Any trace of her earlier distress was gone. He pushed her up against the wall next to the door with more force than necessary, but Ginger seemed to enjoy it.

Sookie did not stay to find out how much. It was uncomfortable just having to pass them, and she could have sworn he was watching her. It was unsettling. She had no idea where Pam had gone, but she intended to get home without seeing any more vampires.

As she shut the door on her car, she sighed in relief as if she were safe. Sookie had not realized she had been holding her breath, but she tried to regain control of it as she sat, hands on the steering wheel, staring into nothing. That was most definitely not the way she had seen the evening going... and she was fairly certain she had just learned something that could get her killed. Or maybe it was simply her overactive imagination, combined with the look of hunger in Eric's eyes. Surely, she had not just read a vampire's mind.

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><p>Second favorite chapter so far, hope you all enjoy it.<p>

**Thank you to all my beautiful reviewers, you have boosted my confidence when I was unsure how some things would be received. Still, please tell me if something needs to be changed!**

Also haven't mentioned in a while that I do not own these characters. Obviously, Charlaine Harris does.


	9. Chapter 9

Big thanks to everyone who helped me reach my first 100 reviews ever! It means so much that you all take the time to let me know how I am doing!

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><p>"You alright?" It was quite a way to answer the phone.<p>

"Hey Sam." She wanted to prolong the inevitable. It wasn't really as late as she had thought. He had probably just gotten off work.

"Hello Sookie..." He seemed annoyed by her adherence to the societal norms. "Now, are you going to tell me if you're okay, or am I driving over?"

"I am fine."

"You don't sound fine." She knew she probably sounded drained, shocked, and possibly even scared, but considering everything that happened, she was relatively fine. Great actually, compared to how she could be feeling, which was dead.

"I am not going to say it wasn't an eventful evening, but I finished my job and everything is alright now."

"Should I come over?" Sookie thought she had sounded convincing, but maybe she was overestimating her abilities.

"No Sam, I really just want to go to bed. I have tomorrow off, but I will tell you what happened on Wednesday. I promise." She realized that she wanted to tell someone, and there really was no one else. She would leave out some of the details, but at least she could tell him most of it.

"Alright, Cher." He sounded disappointed now. "I will hold you to that. Try to sleep well."

"Yeah, I'll do that." She did try; it just didn't work. Instead of the pool on the office floor, it was Eric's eyes that kept her awake. At first, they were like a very real nightmare, but there was something else there besides the hunger. She finally fell asleep trying, and failing, to put a name to what she had seen. Morning would come too soon.

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><p>Her check came that very next morning, luckily by a female courier who could have cared less about the amount of cleavage she was showing. She had opened it to stare at the four digits that graced the paper. It was definitely more than they had agreed upon. The thought of going to Fangtasia that night to return it personally had been quickly dismissed as she quickly admitted to herself that she was too much of a coward to go back so soon.<p>

Maybe, she would be able to call him by the time it turned dark, give herself time to pluck up. She could not, however, leave it alone that he had changed the arrangement. It seemed harmless enough this time, although the money could definitely be put to good use. But she did not want to encourage the bending of any other parts of the agreement by accepting more than her pay.

Sookie laid out for longer than normal that day, until her skin was the perfect shade of golden brown. Her neck looked a lot better than she thought possible, but the flesh was still lumpy and discolored. Sookie had wanted to feel better about herself, and tanning always helped.

After that, it became a day of pampering. She took a long bath and brushed her hair out to dry naturally. Then, she started Gone with the Wind while painting her nails. The tension was just beginning to leave her when the first VHS finished. Instead of starting the next, Sookie decided to cook herself a nice dinner to enjoy during the second half.

She had a steak that needed to get cooked, and it seemed the perfect choice. The kitchen lights had to be flipped on so she could see in the setting sun. A little bacon grease and salt went into some green beans for a green vegetable that was more appealing. She stuck a couple frozen rolls in the oven and cut up some carrots to glaze. This was going to be elegant single dining, even if she was going to pair it up with a nice sweet tea.

Sookie knew she was attempting to psych herself up to call Eric. However, as the steak began to sizzle in her grandma's perfectly seasoned cast iron skillet, her mouth began to water at the aroma, and she realized this would be good for her no matter the reason behind it. Taking care of herself had kind of fallen by the wayside in the light of everything on around her.

The steak cooked longer than was usual for Sookie. She did not think that she could handle a bloody steak at that moment. Her brother would have said she had killed it twice, but she had to get it to the point where it reminded her of nothing put the food it was.

She loaded up her plate and grabbed her sweet tea, making her way back to the living. A good dinner and an amazing movie could make a lot of things better. In fact, her night sped right by. After cleaning the kitchen, she was already yawning. She was tired from her late night and not so peaceful rest the previous night. It did not take much bargaining in her own mind to convince herself that she could call Eric tomorrow when she had gotten a proper night's sleep.

Sookie had only been asleep a few hours when she awoke to the sound of something hitting her window. It was much too late for a bird, and she knew there were no trees close enough for it to be the wind. But the tap, tap did not stop when she ignored it.

She rolled over to see a pale, blond face and upper torso blocking her window. A shriek escaped her lips as she bundled the blankets up in front of her like a shield. Eric's amusement over her reaction showed on his face. Once she got over her initial fear of the vampire peeping tom, anger took over.

"We need to talk." His voice rattled against the closed window.

"Have your people call mine and make an appointment." Her voice did not get to the level of venom she had intended as she still sounded sleepy despite her scare.

"Sookie, I took a night off work to discuss things in person."

"You could have called first to make sure I would be available to talk." She had rolled back over in her bed so she didn't have to look at him anymore. If the previous night was any indication, he would still be able to hear her.

"You are available now..." Surprisingly, it was not an innuendo.

"No Eric, I am sleeping now. That makes me very unavailable."

"I am trying to be civilized here, but you are making it difficult."

She gave a disparaging chuckle as she wondered if he really thought that line of reasoning would win her over. He was the master of being difficult, and turn about was fair play after all.

"Please Sookie..." The words sounded as if they had been squeezed through clenched teeth, but she had definitely heard them.

She rolled over, and his eyes dared her to mock him. Of course, she had no intention to do so, at least not any that she was going to pay mind. Had he carried on in his normal way, she would have ignored him, but he was attempting politeness, even if it was obviously hard for him. Then again, after a few hundred years of getting your way instantly, Sookie would probably have trouble remembering her please and thank you's as well, especially considering they had probably not been a part of his upbringing.

Sookie sighed. She knew she had lost this round. "I will meet you on the porch."

"Just invite me in, Sookie." It was easy to see that her refusal to let him in her house was a barb in his side.

"No, Eric." Her voice was not angry, but serious. "Either I meet you on the porch, or I put cotton balls in my ears and go back to sleep."

They both glared at each other, waiting for someone to concede. Part of Sookie knew she should be a little more frightened when having a contest of wills with a Viking, but she felt completely safe inside her house. Her stubbornness was showing its incredible amount of steel.

"Fine." Eric was the first to speak and promptly disappeared, presumably to meet her on the porch.

Smiling at her victory in round two, Sookie grabbed a heavy, long robe that she usually wore during the few cold months and even put on some slippers. No way was she getting caught in her nightgown again. For a moment, she thought about slipping on her necklace before she remembered that they had been left at Fangtasia.

Her mind stopped her in her tracks for a moment as fears from the previous night caught up to her. Still, if he knew she had read his mind last night, (and there was no real denying she had, no matter how much she attempted to rationalize) he probably would have been more insistent that they talk. He could always light the house on fire to get her out or something equally violent. It was not a pleasant thought to entertain right as she stepped out on the porch, now completely vulnerable to the ancient vampire who was waiting for her.

He was sitting on the porch swing again, with a box beside him. When she approached, he held it out to her. Instead of sitting, she leaned on the railing, reminded a little too much of their first porch meeting. Still, the box was different. She opened it and saw her jewelry lying on top. She slid those down and drew out the other thing the box contained. It was a white blouse, and she knew it was much nicer than the department store one she had to throw away by the designer tag she barely recognized and could not pronounce.

"Eric..."

"You left the jewelry in your rush to get out of the office."

"Well, yes. I believe I had good reason."

"I did not say otherwise." His eyes were oddly distant, and he was not looking directly at her like he usually did.

"The shirt is too much..."

"I doubt you will be able to get the blood out of the one from last night." That was definitely true. She had not even bothered to try. "And Pam picked it out." The dismissal in the statement did not satisfy her. It was too much like the check.

She may have been afraid to call him hours earlier, but he was here now. Not only that, but he had woken her up from a perfectly nice sleep, and she felt up to chatting with him now.

"The check you sent me was for more than we agreed as well." She set the box on the railing.

"I know; I wrote it." He still was staring at everything but her.

"Why? Why the raise... and the shirt?"

Finally, he looked at her, and she saw a glimmer of whatever it was she had seen the night before but without the accompanying hunger this time.

"I already explained the shirt; you needed a replacement. As far as the check goes, consider it combat pay. If I had known the night would end in violence, your fee would have been higher."

"Only you didn't know, you couldn't have known, and no where did we say that you were responsible for my outfit as well. It was not some sort of uniform."

"Trust me, if I picked out a uniform for you, that would not be it..." His voice had quickly turned to husky.

"Stop doing that!" She was seriously frustrated by what felt like deflection. "Every time I try to get an answer from you, you distract me with your little comments."

"Do I distract you?" He leaned towards her, his tight v-neck shirt straining under the movement of his muscles.

"See!" She threw up her hands in exasperation.

"It has served me well in the past." He leaned back again, looking smug for the first time that night. Perhaps he had noticed her heart rate increase at their banter.

"Well, quit with me cause it ain't working." His eyebrows raised ever so slightly, but he did not comment, which she appreciated.

"I must admit, I enjoy it too much to give it up, but I will try to stay serious for the remainder of the evening." This was much more than Sookie had expected.

"So, why all the fuss?"

"Really, is it so hard for you to imagine that I find you... important?" He seemed to struggle a little for the right word. Sookie had never heard him falter before.

"Yes." The answer was simple and true.

His sigh of annoyance made Sookie want to giggle. "Why?"

"First, you have said yourself the day-to-day actions of humans are not important to you, and I think that my wardrobe probably falls under that. Second, I am just a waitress, so even as far as humans go, I am even more unimportant." She was neither throwing his words in his face nor fishing for compliments. She simply understood her place in life and thought she was getting a handle on her place in vampire society.

"Sookie, if you want to cling on to the idea that you are human, that is up to you, but I have never tasted a human as exquisite as you. And either way,_ I_ definitely do not place you with the rest of them. And you are most certainly not just a waitress. Ginger is just a waitress. You need to embrace what makes you special."

Sookie found herself wavering under his intense blue eyes. She broke eye contact to look at her silver necklace against the white fabric underneath. "My disability has brought me nothing but trouble." Her words were barely above a whisper.

"Your ability has gotten you a rather nice paycheck."

"It almost got me killed first."

"He met the true death for what he did." His face was frighteningly angry, but she knew it was not directed at her.

"You killed him?" Of course, she had known that. Her mind had realized that the puddle was all that remained of Long Shadow, but she had tucked the information away until she could deal with it. Eric simply made her admit it sooner than she would have otherwise.

"I would kill anyone who touched you..."

She did not like the tone in his voice, too much sincere anger for a business associate. It was time to change the subject.

"So you came to bring me a shirt and my jewelry back? You could have just had it delivered. It would have saved you an evening."

Eric looked as if he recognized the tactic but followed along.

"No..." She looked him in the eyes once again at his second hesitation for the evening. "I believe I owe you an explanation." She wondered if explanation meant the same thing as apology to him.

"Oh?"

"I know that you were frightened last night." There was no reason to deny it. She had been, and he had probably felt it. "Between the blood in the room from Long Shadow's demise and your own intoxicating scent, I am afraid I momentarily lost control. It is why I ordered Pam from the room. I thought that I was strong enough to handle it, but after my taste of you, I was somewhat gone."

Had Eric just admitted to weakness? Sookie knew she should tell him it was alright, or at least nod her understanding, but she just stood there, mouth ajar.

"You were very smart to call Ginger. I do not believe I would have hurt you, but had you simply run or put up a fight, I may have broken my word." Hurting and biting must mean two different things to Eric, Sookie was not so clear on the separation. "It would be unfortunate for our arrangement to come to an end." The fact that he could jumble a compliment, with what felt like a past and possible future threat left Sookie impressed but still silent.

"For having only been introduced into our culture recently, you seem quite adept at understanding us."

Sookie tensed a little, not noticing the joking lilt of his statement. He was trying to lighten the mood, but she had heard more in his words than he had intended.

"What did I say?" Even if he didn't have a personal hot line to her emotions, he would have still noticed her movement. Sookie could have smacked herself when she realized he still did not know she had read his thoughts. He had only been joking, and she was acting suspicious.

"I... I do not want to be a vampire."

"I was not offering to turn you. I have enough trouble with my own child. The last thing I need is you nagging me, too."

"Your own child?" He seemed to have bought it, and now she was genuinely interested in the new subject.

"Pamela... I turned her, so she is my progeny." Eric spoke as if she should have known.

"I had no idea." Sookie made her way slowly to sit next to Eric, leaving the box on the railing. The slippers were not as comfortable as she wanted, and she was still tired even if she probably would not be able to sleep right now. "So, was Long Shadow your child as well?"

Eric's growl shook the bench.

"I'm gonna guess that is a no." Sookie unconsciously scooted away.

"No, he was not."

"Sorry, I just thought since you were partners with them both maybe..."

"The bond of a maker and their child is not something you can understand."

"You could try to explain it?" She offered. Eric did not sound angry anymore, and only a little haughty. It was almost comfortable sitting with him here talking about the intricacies of vampire relationships. Well, it would be if it weren't for the fact that Eric would end her existence if he ever found out some truths about her. That could really put a cloud over a girl.

"For someone who doesn't want to be one of us, you seem to want to know a lot about us."

"Well, I figure I am going to be seeing more of ya'll, it makes sense to learn what I can. Ya'll aren't a good bunch to offend I gather." Her hand went to her neck.

Eric turned towards her, pulling her hand down. It wasn't an aggressive move, but he was too strong for her to even considering resisting. He moved the hair from her neck with his other hand. Sookie's gasp drew his eyes from her neck to her eyes. Maybe she should not have left the jewelry in the box.

"I promised no biting, Sookie." His eyes held a hint of his usual bawdy humor, but his fangs were no where to be seen. Of course, he was still holding her wrist.

"Eric..."

"I simply wanted to see how your wound was healing." He moved her hair back after he had finished his inspection, taking an extra moment to settle it.

"You could have asked." She visibly struggled to regain her hand, and he must have released because she succeeded.

"I am... sorry. That you were injured." She practically heard his teeth grind together over the word.

"That's alright. You didn't know it was going to happen." The response slipped from her lips automatically, and she was a little surprised she could speak at all after receiving an actual apology from Eric Northman.

"Now, unless you are going to invite me in..." He paused hopefully, but when she shook her head at him, he continued. "Then I must return to Fangtasia."

And he was gone. She literally felt a passing breeze as he left the porch in a blur and took off into the night sky. Sookie was left sitting on the porch, fingering her hair and extremely confused.

"Good night Eric..." She had stopped keeping track of the points, but she had a funny feeling that she had won more than usual. Maybe that match had ended on a more even playing field.

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><p>Short chapter, I know, but think of this as a turning point of sorts. Just don't think that means I am going to have them tumbling into bed next chapter. Good things come to those who wait...<strong><strong>and those who review!<strong>**


	10. Chapter 10

Arriving at Merlotte's was weird. It was her first time around humans since the attack, and she immediately noticed that the brain chatter was worse than normal. Usually, she could ignore a lot of the extra stuff she heard, but it all seemed to be amplified. She tried harder to block them out as she tied her apron on.

Sam asked Sookie into his office as soon as he saw her. She followed, though a little hesitant. She still had not exactly worked out what she should, or should not, tell him about her little adventure.

"As you can see, I am in one piece." She flourished a hand as if she were Vanna White. She even did a little twirl to show that she was whole.

Suddenly, Sam was right in front of her when she finished turning and faced him. Her boss had enjoyed the show. His eyes were bright, and he pulled a strand of her hair towards him to smell it.

Goosebumps broke out over her arms as he took another step closer. "Yes, you most definitely are. In fact, you look amazing." Sookie had noticed that her hair was shining brighter than normal and even her skin seemed more golden, but she had thought that perhaps it was just the good soaking of sun. Sam noticing somehow made it more poignant and boy, was he noticing. Their bodies were now touching he was so close.

"Sam…" She had meant it to bring him back to reality, but the breathless quality of her voice must have sounded like an invitation because he moved his hand to her neck, leaning in for a kiss.

He tensed before their lips touched, and Sookie felt her hair moved once again from her neck. She really needed to invest in some turtleneck. No matter how unreasonable they were for southern Louisiana. Sookie would have sworn that Sam's growl could have been heard by the patrons in the bar. He was still holding her to him a little too tightly as he looked over the large patch of skin on her neck that was still healing.

"Did _he_ do this to you?" His voice was dangerous as he tried to draw her in even closer, but it was becoming a matter of science now. She had always had trouble concentrating in school, but she distinctly remembered there being a rule against two objects occupying the same space.

"Sam, you are hurting me." She brought her hand up to push against his chest, and his stormy grey eyes caught hers.

"Answer me, Sookie… did Eric hurt you?"

"No, actually. He killed the vampire that did." Let him chew on that. "Now, let me go!"

He did not. Sookie began to struggle in earnest; she was getting sick and tired of these abnormally strong beings who thought they could just control her whenever they felt it prudent. Sam was definitely strong, but not as strong as Eric. After a good push with both of her arms, Sookie managed to separate herself from Sam. He looked shocked for a moment, and she managed to feel smug for half a second as she stepped away from him. When he closed the distance again, she stood her ground.

"You drank his blood again…" Sookie paled at his accusation. Was it the scar? Could he tell from the healing? "You should not be that strong."

Now that was something neither the website nor Eric had mentioned. Vampire blood made humans stronger. Interesting. "Well Sam… I didn't have much of a choice. I was kind of bleeding out in his office."

"Sookie, this is bad. Eric will know things about you now, like how you are feeling or even where you are. He can probably track you now."

"That is super helpful, Sam. I will keep that in mind the next time I try to sneak up behind while sad!"

"I told you this was a bad idea! You should never have gotten involved with those things." Sam's anger was bubbling over, and even though she knew he wasn't angry at her specifically, she was the one he was now yelling at.

"Yeah, well, it is a little too late for that ain't it!"

"If you hadn't been so fucking stubborn and let me help you, I could have gotten you away from here. I swear, sometimes you are just dumb!" Sam never cussed, and Sookie flinched at the word directed at her.

"You wouldn't be the first to think so, but did you ever stop to think what he might have done to those I left behind if I'd just ran away after agreeing to work for him? Did you ever think that maybe I'm keeping everyone I love safe?"

"You can't trust them Sookie." He grabbed her arm, willing her to understand.

"Oh really? That's rich coming from a man who has been lying to me for years!" He dropped her arm and backed into the desk as if she had physically attacked him. Her anger was getting the best of her, and she knew it. He had provoked her too far. "I don't know that Eric has ever been dishonest with me, so that makes him more trustworthy than you right now…" She regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. It was too late to take them back, and she was much too angry to apologize.

Without ever breaking the glare that was still pinning Sam to his desk, Sookie took off her apron and threw it in the chair. He looked down at it, but she turned on her heels and walked out. She had no idea if she had just quit or was simply staging a walk out for the night, but she was in no mood to analyze it. On the way to her car, her cell phone rang.

"What?" She did not even look to see who was calling. The sun had just set, and only one person had her number that she knew of.

"Are you alright?" Eric did not seem put off by her angry greeting.

"I am pissed as hell." She ended the call before he could say anything else; conversation was not on her list of things to do. Maybe she could see if there was some wood to chop or something else physically intense, and then she would probably attack a carton of ice cream, but there was no world in which she was going to answer any phone again tonight.

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><p>Sam was smart enough not to come after her. Eric obviously knew that she was angry and upset, but he also seemed to know that she was in no real peril. Unfortunately, her grandmother's bushes had suffered the wrath of Sookie, equipped with some gardening shears. The next day, Sookie stood outside surveying the damage. They would all survive, but it would be a while before they looked like anything more than tumbleweeds with sprigs of green.<p>

Another restless night sleep had not left her feeling any better. Most of her anger had dissipated, but she was still incredibly hurt by Sam's treatment of her. He knew her better than to get a rise out of her like he had and expect it all to be okay. Of course, she felt terrible for some of the things she had said, but her stubbornness kept her at her own house. After all, she had not been wrong, and he was the one who provoked her.

It had, however, become clear to her that she should not have left things the way that she did. It was wrong to leave Sam an employee down for the night, and he might have assumed she was quitting. She did not want to lose her job, or Sam's friendship, but she didn't want him thinking that he could control her.

Sookie heard the pick-up turn onto her gravel road before she turned around to see it. Maybe she wasn't the only mind reader in Bon Temps. Sam jumped down from the cab and crossed over to her an unnatural speed. She was surprised to find herself caught up in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Cher."

She relaxed into him, her resolve melting at the sadness in his voice.

"It's alright… I know you didn't mean it." His shirt moved as she spoke into his chest.

"I still shouldn't have said it. I am just so worried about you."

"I wasn't exactly calm and collected. I'm sorry about what I said too, Sam."

He backed up a step she he could look at her in the eyes, though his hands remained lightly on her arms. "Except you were right, weren't you? I didn't trust you when I should have, and I kept something important from you."

Sookie looked down, toeing a rock that was sticking up. "I still shouldn't thrown it in your face like that. I do trust you, Sam."

"I know, Cher. And I trust you as well."

"Then you have to let me make my own decisions." She looked up at him. He might say he trusted her. She might even know his big secret now, but his actions last night had made it very clear that he didn't trust her to know what was right.

"Yeah… but that is going to take some doing. At least where vampires are concerned."

"But you will try?" She did not know if she could still be friends with him if he continued on this way.

"If you will come back to work, I will."

"Are you trying to blackmail me?"

"Is it working?"

"I hadn't really quit. I just couldn't be trusted around people last night."

"I understand, Cher, and I am glad that you still want to work for me after I was such an asshole. You really are the best of all of us Sookie."

"Thank you, Sam."

"I need to get back before the delivery guy leaves. I will see you tonight?" The hope in his voice brought a smile to Sookie's face.

"Yeah, I'll be there."

* * *

><p>Eric had called with another non-descript job before the week was out. She would have preferred a little more time. Unfortunately, her car was having troubles, and there was no way she could pass up the money.<p>

This time, it wasn't Monday, and the club was packed. Sookie felt marginally better that so many people would be around. Witnesses. It had served her well in the past. The bouncer vamp quickly recognized who she was and had her skip the line, much to the chagrin of every fangbanger who had been waiting in the long line. She had thought about going to the employee entrance again but had wanted to differentiate this night from the last time she was at Fangtasia as much as possible.

Sookie had chosen to go with pants again, khakis this time. The shirt was a floral print that made her feel girly but looked nice. Eric sat on his makeshift throne separated from the thralls by sheer power of presence. It was really impressive considering how many people in the bar wanted nothing more than to throw themselves on Eric. Well, they wanted a_ little_ more than that, but Sookie was trying to block that out.

"He wants you in his office."

"Hello, Pam." Sookie had jumped when the vampire appeared behind her, but she saw Eric blur towards her accompanied by cheers from the bar patrons.

"And in my car, that booth, your porch, my bed, your bed… really anywhere."

"I see we are back to that."

"As I told you Sookie, I would miss it to much; your blush is mesmerizing." Her cheeks were indeed bright red.

"Shall we?" She said trying to get them back to business.

"I keep offering, but you keep saying no." The smug smile was firmly planted on his face, so Sookie just started towards his office without him. It took a little guessing as she had come in a different way last time, but she found it all the same. He did not seem in any hurry to correct her or show her the way. He just followed behind.

Once in door, he swept past her to the chair behind his desk. A new chair had been placed by his desk, and Sookie couldn't help but notice the concrete floor had recently been repainted.

Eric indicated the new seat, and she obligingly sat. It was one of those swivel chairs, but she resisted the urge to take a spin. It would have been very unprofessional.

"I am going to take full advantage of having a telepath."

Sookie looked at him sideways, but besides a small smile, the statement was in no way predatory. Still, she was not sure what to make of the statement, when a man in a business suit entered the office.

Eric, who managed to look professional in a black tank top and black jeans, made introductions, though he did not shake the man's hand.

"Sookie, Mr. Philips here would like to begin providing our liquor. He is here to tell us how much money we could save with his company." She was pretty sure he was trying to get some sort of message across to her, but she was not getting it.

She did, however, shake his hand, happy to find that he was simply considering her as a business associate of Eric's instead of considering anything else about her. It was nice to be considered an equal.

Mr. Philips presented them both with folders containing numbers that Sookie was not completely unfamiliar with. Sam needed help every once and a while, and Sookie was his go-to assistant. Still, these were much larger quantities than she was used to, and some of the numbers were staggering.

As soon as he started to go through the numbers out loud with them, it dawned on her why she was present. The whole time that he was saying one number to them, his mind was going over the actual product cost and profit margins. His mind was especially vocal, which made it easy for her to pick up on the exact numbers.

She began to keep notes on the page with a pen from Eric's desk. Mr. Philips was so used to his little speech that he forged ahead without so much as a noise of understanding from his listeners. Eric was watching Sookie intently, so Mr. Philips had also turned his attention to her. He seemed to think she was the one actually in charge of the accounting. The thought had almost made her laugh, but she had kept up her professional demeanor, trying to stay away from the Crazy Sookie smile.

Once he had finally finished speaking, Sookie looked to Eric, not quite sure what to do with all the information she had. He swept his hand towards Mr. Philips, giving her the go ahead.

"Well, Mr. Philips, that was quite a proposal." She kept her voice sweet, and smile secure. "But we both know that you are getting your products for far less since y'all are getting them straight from the distributor."

He was impressed by how well informed she was, and she smiled a little more. Only now he was worried. His boss really wanted this account. He knew that Eric had other ventures that served alcohol, and they hoped if they could supply Fangtasia, contracts for the other businesses would soon follow. His boss had used the phrase "or it's your ass." Of course, now he had to deal with someone who knew what they were talking about. He could not go too low or the contracts would be worthless.

"Let's see if we can work out something that will be more mutually beneficial." Sookie's smile was now borderline crazy. She was on a little bit of a power trip; a very rare feeling for the waitress.

A half hour later, Sookie had gotten him to the lowest price he thought he could give without losing his job. She loved the haggling and the power her disability was giving her, but she did not want to cost him his livelihood. He seemed like a nice guy who only wanted a little more respect at work. The contracts would get him that, and he could honestly say he had to work hard for them.

Sookie shook his hand again before he left and walked him to the door. When she turned around, Eric was watching her with the oddest look on his face.

"I find you incredibly surprising, Miss Stackhouse."

"A good surprising?"

"Oh yes, very good."

Sookie stood against the closed door, reveling in her professional victory. She wanted to do a little dance, but that would have been as bad as spinning in the chair, maybe worse.

"I think I may have to give you a raise after this. You are definitely worth every penny."

"You bet your cute ass I am." Okay, maybe she was reveling a little too much.

Eric actually chuckled at that. The sound seemed to fill the room. It was strong, fitting. "Cute, is it?"

"It's just a figure of speech, Eric." She was red again but tried to play the slip off.

"I don't believe I am familiar with that phrasing."

"Yes, well, I doubt English is your first language."

"Perhaps not, but I have been speaking it for several centuries more than you." Hearing his age still was a shock to her. Sometimes when they were speaking so naturally, his true nature was lost to her.

"Is there anyone else coming in tonight? That much reading kind of took it out of me."

"He was it. I did not know what your limitations would be. You are free to retire for the evening."

"Alright, I have to admit, that was fun!"

"I am glad you think so, I have plenty more vendors for you to see. We will spread them out."

"Sounds good, see you later then." She opened the door to leave.

"Sookie, thank you for your hard work tonight." Eric was already looking down at some other documents, but he had just thanked her.

"No problem. It _is_ what you're paying me for, after all." She didn't want to make a big deal out of it, if he wasn't.

"Of course. Good night." He waved his hand for her to exit.

"Night Eric." She left his office and walked down the empty hallway to the employee exit at a leisurely pace. As she fearlessly left the club for the first time, she thought maybe their last porch meeting wasn't a fluke. Maybe interacting with Eric really didn't have to end in bloodshed.

* * *

><p>My business savvy is non-existent, so if I messed up something in the last scene or if the pricecost variations don't make sense, please take pity. I am not being paid to do background research here.

Next will be another small fast forward…


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks so much for the great reviews guys! I seem to have managed to not piss anyone off so far, so that rocks! I guess we will see how long I can keep that up!

As always, characters, setting, and events are all property of Charlaine Harris!

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><p>"So, what's on the agenda for tonight?" Sookie asked from the comfortable chair that had been placed beside Eric's desk just for her.<p>

He had been true to his word about using her quirk. In fact, it seemed as if every night she had off work from Merlotte's, she was at Fangtasia listening for Eric. He actually had someone call her after her work schedule for Merlotte's had been posted to find out which nights worked best for her. It was nice not to have to chose between jobs, but it left her with no free time.

Things were back to normal between Sam and her. He was even able to ask her about the work she did for Eric completely without judgment. Not that Sookie shared many details, Eric was a very private individual when it came to his business. But it probably helped that all the jobs she did for him were completely mundane. It seemed like an endless line of employees and vendors that Eric wanted to know more about. She had not gotten so much as a paper cut since her run in with Long Shadow's fangs.

It also helped that Eric was being completely professional. Well, completely professional for Eric. He still made his little innuendos and comments, but he had made no actual overtures and even seemed a little more stand off-ish than he had. When she arrived, the humans were shown in, and when the interviews were done, he told her goodnight and she left.

However, all these side jobs were leaving her with very little time to herself. Sookie and Sam had been on a few dates during the day and tried one late night date after work, but Sookie had fallen asleep in Sam's truck.

With their current schedules, they both agreed that a relationship just was not possible. Sookie had a small cry when she got home that night, and even risked ignoring her cell phone. Still, they flirted, and she silently hoped that Eric would run out of people eventually. It felt like she must have seen every employee of any importance.

The upside was that she was making good money, and she was also getting very good with her disability. Using it so much not only made it easier for her to find what she wanted, but she also noticing she was getting better at blocking people out more.

"Tonight will be a little different. I do not expect as much help from you on this one."

Sookie tilted her head at Eric. Usually he just told her if there was something she should look for specifically. That was definitely a first, and she had no idea what to do with that information.

She had little time to contemplate it as the door opened and was filled by a man who rivaled Eric in height. His eyes were a startling green, and he was gorgeous in a very manly way. His dark curly hair was a little messy. The set of his shoulders and his tan made Sookie think that he was probably used to hard work.

"Is there something in the water up here?" She whispered it quietly, but both men looked right at her as she turned bright red and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Sookie?" She could not tell if Eric was annoyed or amused by the way he said her name, and she was not going to turn to look at him to find out.

She could tell the man was amused, but that quickly turned to annoyance. "I thought we were going to be meeting in private, Eric…" His voice was deep with an ever present rumble that fit him perfectly.

"Whatever you have to say can be said in front of my human."

Sookie did turn at that. In all the meetings she had attended, not once had he ever called her that. No way was she letting that slid by now.

"I am not your human!" She glared at Eric, who only smiled knowingly, as if he knew better. "I am not his human." She spoke to Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome to explain.

"Good for you." It sounded like he actually meant it, and she couldn't help but smiling. "If you don't mind me asking, if you aren't his, what are you doing here exactly?"

She opened her mind fully for the first time; he had reminded her of the job she was there to do. Only, she didn't get anything more from him other than some fuzziness.

"Oh!" Eric's lack of confidence in her suddenly made perfect sense. "Are you a shifter?"

The man shut the door quickly and growled. What was it with all the men around her growling these day? Eric had stood up as if ready to defend if she were attacked. She had obviously offended him, but was a little unsure how. Still, he seemed to settle down after a tense moment.

"Why don't you sit down, Alcide?" Eric's voice was harsh and commanding, and for a second, Sookie was sure the man would refuse. Her neck was beginning to hurt, so she was very happy when he reluctantly sat.

"I am not a shifter, I am a Were." He said shifter almost the same way Eric said human. Not with quite as much disgust, but definitely with superiority.

"Oh, what kind?" Her curiosity was overriding any fear of his anger.

"A Were…" He seemed to think that was an explanation, but Sookie was still confused. Then she remembered something Sam had told her on one of their few dates. Werewolves considered themselves to be the true Weres.

"Gotcha." His anger had her floundering. He had not been happy when he came in the room, and she was not helping the situation with her questions.

"Humans don't know about us… how did you?" So that was why he was so angry. Well, that probably combined with the fact that she may have insulted him by calling him a shifter.

"Oh, I'm a telepath!"

"Sookie!" Eric did not like her sharing that particular detail, but after two months of mostly pretending to simply be good at reading body language or incredibly knowledgeable, she wanted to be honest with someone. She had a good feeling about Alcide, despite his anger issues.

"Sookie Stackhouse, nice to meet you." She leaned forward and offered her hand across the corner of the desk.

"Alcide Herveaux, a pleasure Miss Stackhouse." He held on to her hand a moment longer than necessary.

"Please call me Sookie." His smile was broad, white, and sincere. Even his anger had been checked by her frank and pleasant greeting.

Eric had stiffened in his chair, his displeasure obvious to her even as he tried to control his features. Sookie had come to realize that vampires did not like to show emotion, but they all had tells. She had seen the gambit of Eric's emotions and was getting quite good at recognizing them.

And as far as she was concerned, he could just be angry. He had asked her to come out on her one night off this week. If he hadn't wanted her to talk to Alcide, he should have let her stay home.

"So, if you could read my mind, how come you thought I was a shifter?" He seemed a little skeptical and understandably so. Sookie was coming to understand that even in this world of weird, she was a rarity.

"I can't really read your mind; I just kind of know what you are feeling. I have a friend who is a Shifter, and he is the same way. Kind of fuzzy, that is why I thought you might be one too. If he thinks something directed at me, then I can pick up on that, but everything else is just intentions and feelings."

Alcide sat back in his chair for a moment. Now it had come to the moment where he withdrew because she was a freak. Sam had done so well with it, she thought maybe all Weres would understand the issue of just being a slight variation on human. But maybe not.

_Well, I am glad you aren't with the vamp._

Sookie actually giggled at that. Maybe he was going to be alright with it.

"Now that he knows all of your secrets, Sookie, can we get on to the actual business."

She scowled at Eric. He was right, of course, but she felt strangely comfortable with Alcide.

"I hope we can talk some other time, Sookie."

"I think I would like that, Alcide."

"You are here about your father's gambling problem." Couth would not be a word to describe Eric at the moment. His anger at the situation had been egging Alcide on, but the bluntness of his statement brought all the werewolf's previous anger back to the forefront.

"As a matter of fact, I am." It was Sookie's turn to lean back in her seat. Eric was right; there was not much she could tell here. Especially now that he knew about her. No wonder Eric was so angry. She had practically ruined any chance of being useful for the evening. She didn't beat herself up long. Alcide seemed like a good guy, and she didn't think she wanted to give Eric an advantage over him like she did when she pulled numbers out of vendor's head.

She sat quietly while the boys spoke angrily. With the way the conversation was going, Sookie couldn't help but feel bad. Eric's anger had left him in a not very agreeable mood, and the interaction with Alcide had put him on his bad side. Whatever Alcide had hoped to accomplish, it was not going well.

From what she gathered, Alcide's father had a great deal of debt from gambling at a casino Eric owned. Sookie was not surprised by the mention of that particular business. She had interviewed several of the employees for Eric's other venues as well.

"I could just take the business…"

"Eric!" The father-son contracting company had been mentioned. Apparently, it had been put up as collateral at some point, much to Alcide's surprise. Eric's blue eyes were cold as he turned to her. Picking sides, especially against him, had not gone over well.

"Sookie, perhaps you would prefer to wait outside." Nothing ever sounded like an actual request with him.

"No, I am fine." He raised his eyebrows at her, but she was not one of his underlings to be silenced by facial expressions. The couple months without incident had given Sookie back her former confidence. "I just think there must be some other arrangement you all can come to. After all, contracting isn't exactly up your alley."

"Do not presume you know all of my business ventures."

Alcide was watching the exchange with interest, but his anger was still clouding out any other emotions that may have darted through.

"I don't _presume_ anything Eric. I'm just making a suggestion based on the information I've got. It's what you pay me for."

"I pay you to get information that I cannot before you make a suggestion."

"I have been gathering information, just not like usual." She tapped her head as indication. "All I am saying is you've got a member of a Were pack here who obviously owes you and seems to be well connected, but you're letting your anger cloud your judgment." She paused for a moment before looking to Alcide. "Both of you are."

The men looked at each other with disdain, but the truth of her words might have gotten through. Neither were yelling or storming out.

"Alcide doesn't want word of his father's problem getting out, and Eric, you're always looking for people you can trust to out your business, especially during the day. Were's are more capable than your average human anyway, and he has good reason to keep faith with you."

They were still looking at each other, sizing the other up as she ran background commentary. The testosterone in the room was practically suffocating, but maybe it was better than outright hate.

"You mean to tell me you wouldn't be able to find a use for Alcide's services that would outweigh the indiscretions of his father. Money, you have plenty of. Reliable people…" Well, she had met enough of them to know. Eric was good at placing people, but it was different to have someone who was an actual reliable person and someone who simply worshipped the ground you walked on. Dependability was a rather steady quality, whereas hero worship could always find a new idol.

"I would have to work for you?" Alcide's disgust towards Eric was thinly veiled.

"It is better than him owning you." She had not realized how those words rang until Eric turned to her. She faltered for a moment, but he did not comment. "Do you really want to lose everything you and your father worked so hard for?" She knew he didn't. His love for his father and what they had built was overshadowing his issues with Eric. She could feel it winning out over his anger.

"I have not agreed to this." Eric's words almost crushed her. All that work, and he was still going to let his pride win out.

"Eric, you know it's good business. I am sure a favor from a Were is no small thing." Something that she had said struck a chord with him. He was smiling… it made him no less dangerous looking.

"You are right. I rather like the idea of you owing me." So, Eric's pride had won after all; he just chose a different route than originally planned.

Alcide's growl brought her attention forward. He no longer seemed quite as enthused over the idea. Really, there was no pleasing everyone!

"There are something I won't do, vamp…"

"Of course." Eric waved his hand dismissively. "We will work out the specifics when the time comes. For now, you can be sure that no one will hear about your father from me or my employees."

Alcide looked meaningfully at Sookie, and she was a little offended. Then again, if it had been a member of her family who could come to harm from the information, she would have been just as thorough.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I am great at keeping secrets." A bubbly smile lit up her face. These boys had no idea.

"Alcide…" It was clearly a dismissal.

"Eric…" It was hard to tell who disliked who more at the moment.

"Eric…" Sookie's voice was deep and falsely angry as she stood to leave. Her time was up for the evening, and Eric never had her stick around after a meeting unless they needed to discuss what she had learned. Obviously, tonight she had not learned anything he didn't already know.

"Sookie, could you stay for a moment?" Eric's voice was quiet, but she knew she was in trouble. There was no denying that she had been trying to sneak out. Alcide actually gave her a consoling look before leaving the office.

She dropped back into her seat with a sigh. No point in making him angrier by running, it would only prolong the inevitable talk. She turned towards him, propping her elbows on the desk.

"Yes?" She tried to look innocent, even batting her eyes.

"Miss Stackhouse, I will not deny that coy very much becomes you, but do not think you can distract me with your feminine wiles."

"Do I distract you?" She remembered a time when he had used that line on her.

"Hmm, you have no idea." His eyes narrowed on her.

She had found him true to his word about not giving up on the innuendos, but they had gotten to a comfortable habit of idle flirtation. Sookie knew it didn't mean anything, but getting upset over it wasn't worth it. She had started to play along instead. Well, to a point.

"Then good night, Eric!" She stood to leave again with a smile.

"Sookie."

"I know, I messed up."

"Weres have a bad reputations."

"Pot meet kettle…" She did not even turn around. If she could keep this lighthearted, she could get out.

"I would hate to have to kill someone over your honor."

"I didn't know you cared, Eric." She opened the door and sent him a winning smile as she turned to exit.

"Well, I do." No one had ever sounded so annoyed about caring. Her laughter broke through the air at his expression.

"Don't worry Eric, my honor is firmly intact…" She closed the door on his puzzled look.

Alcide was waiting in the hall with a smile. "You should not walk to your car alone. You never know who might be out there." Sookie did not stop walking towards the employee exit, but he easily caught up to her.

"Does your girlfriend know that you walk girls you meet at the bar to their cars?" She should not be fishing for that particular piece of information, but he was just the kind of man she had always imagined herself with. It was an odd feeling.

"Well, considering she just left me for an owl, I doubt she would care." His tone was joking, but underneath she sensed real, deep hurt. He must have really loved her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know… wait, an owl?"

"Well, he turns into one."

"I can tell that you loved her, so please don't take offense, but that girl must be crazy."

Alcide's easy smile got bigger as they made their way through the parking lot. "My sister said the same thing."

"Then she is a smart woman."

"I meant what I said earlier, about hoping we could talk later."

"We are talking now, Alcide."

"I mean, I would like to take you out."

She started for the whole, my life is complicated speech, but considering the last hour, she figured Alcide knew all about convoluted lives. "Look, Alcide… you just got done telling me about how your girlfriend left you for another guy. Now, you can try to play it off like it was no big deal, but remember I know what you are feeling. I have no intention of being that girl. I am not a rebound."

Alcide opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but he closed it just as quickly. His smile broke as he looked at her, some of this sadness showing through. "I wish we had met under different circumstances, Sookie Stackhouse."

"Yeah, me too."

He held out his hand, and Sookie took it. For the second time that night, her hand disappeared under his large calloused fingers. He was so very warm. It was comforting even in a handshake. "Here's to hoping we meet again at a better time."

"Is this _stray_ bothering you?" The moment was ruined as Pam appeared next to them.

"I was just leaving." Alcide had gotten his fill of vampire's for the night. He went towards his own huge truck, just what Sookie expected him to drive.

"Look, Eric just started acting normal again. Now, you have him in an uproar, if you mess him up again, so help me…"

"What the hell are you talking about Pam?" Pam was annoyed that she had not gotten to say goodnight to Alcide.

"All I know is that since the minute you walked up to him at the bar, things have been different. Now, you better get your shit together, or I will for you."

"Pam, if you could let me know when you start making sense, I will start paying attention again. But if you plan on muttering nonsense for the rest of the night, I'd rather just go home and let you talk to yourself."

"You may be his little pet right now, but do not forget that you are a human in a world of much stronger beings." Sookie had not realized she had been backing up until she was against her car. Pam was looming over her, and Sookie had noticed that her fangs had run out. "Don't get too comfortable."

Pam's face was inches from Sookie as she made her point. Her heart beat was indicating that she understood loud and clear while Sookie tried to swallow. It had been so long since anything like this had happened, she really had been getting a little cocky. Only that did not help much as Pam took in a long breath, close to Sookie's neck. Sookie had stopped wearing the silver jewelry a few weeks ago when she realized how insulting it was. Damn her good manners!

Suddenly, the light from a streetlight replaced Pam's shadow as she was forcibly pulled back. Eric was holding her by the back of her neck and looked so frightening that Sookie would have backed up more if she were able. As it was, she decided to stay very, very still.

Eric had turned his child to look at him and was rapidly speaking in some foreign language. For Pam's part, her scowl was quickly turning into a look of pleading as she quietly replied. Eric finally said something harsh and jerked his head towards Sookie, who cringed into the metal frame of her car.

"I am sorry, Sookie. I will never threaten or harm you again." The words had obviously not come of her own volition and were more angry than apologetic.

"Now go back inside and entertain the vermin." Pam sulkily walked back towards the bar at a pace that would have been slow even for a human.

"I know she did not sound like she meant it, but she will not. I gave her a direct order."

"Oh." Sookie said that as if it meant something to her.

"She will not, cannot, defy her maker." He was doing the not looking at her thing again. It was always awkward to talk to him when he was decidedly not looking at her.

"Thank you."

"I believe you were heading home for the night."

"Yeah, I was."

"Good night then."

"Night Eric." She slipped into her car still a little shaken. Sookie did not see Eric leave, but when she looked up again, he was gone.

So much for her clean record. She imagined someone somewhere erasing the numbers off a whiteboard. Incident Free Days: 0...

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><p>Turns out, fairies have whiteboards. Of course, Sookie couldn't know someone really is tracking all her incident reports.<p>

I always wanted to know how Alcide and Eric had come to their arrangement, so I decided to write it out.

Yes, I thoroughly enjoy throwing road blocks in Eric's way. It makes things so much more interesting, and keeps him honest. Actually, if you haven't noticed he is currently having a bad case of **denial**_**…**_

I guess we will all just have to hope that he gets over that quickly!


	12. Chapter 12

You all will be happy to know, this chapter begins with the final nail in the Sookie/Sam (as more than friends) coffin… Onwards!

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><p>Maybe it was her talk with Alcide, or maybe it was her continued lack of an entire day to herself, but something finally clicked for Sookie. She was no longer really living her own life.<p>

She worked and took care of her Gran's house, but that was all. If she saw anyone besides her brother, who occasionally popped over for a home cooked meal or to steal leftovers, it was simply because one of her friends had walked into Merlotte's. The closest thing she did to living was listening to stories of others enjoying their lives. Her work was leaving her feeling more fulfilled these days, but she still wanted more.

This realization brought her into Sam's office early one day before her dinner shift.

"You quittin' on me, Cher?

"Now Sam, you know I love working here."

"Yeah, but I also know that look in your eye. You had to make a tough decision, but you already made up your mind which means there ain't nothing I can do to change it."

She was a little taken aback by just how well he seemed to know her. "Well, I'm not quittin', but I _would_ like to cut back on my hours."

Sam leaned back in his chair as he thought this over. Sookie could feel relief washing over him.

"Sure. We can work something out, but can you afford to cut back on hours?" He was always concerned for her when it came to finances, part of the reason she had so many night shifts.

"Yeah, I've been doing real well about saving." Sookie didn't want to tell him that she would actually be able to live off what Eric was paying her alone. Her vampire boss probably thought she would quit her waitress-ing, but even through all the shit she put up with, Sookie knew she would miss her job at Merlotte's if she quit. Plus, she was saving up to finally replace her old car. It was well past time it be put out to pasture.

"I would like to go down to three shifts, preferably dinner, but I will understand if I get some lunches."

"Yeah, I should be able to do that. I was thinking about hiring a new waitress anyway to help out around here."

"Great idea, Sam! Thanks!"

"I am just happy to keep you around." His smile looked somewhat strained as he spoke again. "You going to be working more for the vamp?"

"Nope… as far as he is concerned, my free days will be remaining the same." She had thought long and hard about it, but Eric was always complaining that he could use her more often. If she told him, he would just find a way to make her drive to Shreveport, and she wanted some nights to herself.

"Good for you, Cher!" Sam was impressed with her underhandedness when it came to his least favorite person… vampire.

"I have been using work as an excuse to leave things alone, but it is time I start living life again." Sookie's smile widened. "Which brings me to my next question, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out with me on Friday?"

"This Friday?" Sookie did not see Sam's smile falter as she continued on in a joking mood.

"Yeah, I have the lunch shift, Eric won't ask me to work Saturday because he assumes I work here all weekend, and I happen to be on really good terms with the boss here, so I figured I would ask him not to schedule me the next day."

"I'm sorry Sooke. I kinda already have plans that night."

"Oh…" Her bubble was officially burst. She had told him not to wait for her, but she was petty enough to hope he had. "Anyone I know?"

"No one local." His answered what unexpectedly guarded. "It ain't anything serious, but uh… she knows about me." Sookie understood what he meant.

"That sounds pretty serious."

"It really ain't. Just gives me someone to run with."

So, she was like him. That would be good for him. Sookie could be the big person here; she could be happy for her friend. "That's great, Sam. I am glad that you found someone who understands you." Her voice sounded much more bitter than she had intended.

"Sookie, you are making more out of this than need be." He was getting frustrated. "Maybe we can do something next week once I figure out the schedule."

"Yeah, sounds good!" She was overreacting again, but he had told someone else about himself like it was no big thing. That hurt her much more than the fact that he would rather be out with this mystery woman than her.

"Well, shift is about to start. Better go get ready." Sam was looking disheartened, and she didn't want to leave him with that hurt puppy look. "Let me know about next week." Her parting smile was borderline Crazy Sookie, but she hoped the peppy step with which she exited would dispel that.

Her night did not improve as she helped Portia get a very drunk Andy into his sister's car. She did not blame the man. Unfortunately, Sookie had seen what his day had been like. As far as she was concerned, he more than deserved to forget the things he had seen, Sookie definitely wished she could.

The before her shift was over, Eric had called and demanded that she report to Fangtasia as soon as her shift was done. She managed to talk him into a shift switch tomorrow and meeting him there at sun down. She was surprised she got that much, but he was talking to Pam in that European language she did not understand. When he finally agreed, it was not with much graciousness. She managed to call Arlene who was happy to pick up the extra money from a night shift.

She was beginning to wonder if this new leaf she was trying to turn over was already dry and brown.

* * *

><p>The next morning did not dawn any brighter. Still tired from her late shift the night before, Sookie was the one to find Lafayette's dead body in the back of Andy's squad car at Merlotte's. The town was still recovering from the shock of Rene, and now another violent murder. The poor cook may have been flamboyant, but he had also been sweet. She did not understand how some people possessed so much hate. Of course, lots of people disagree with some of the life choices that Lafayette made, but to kill someone over it. That was beyond her.<p>

Sookie spent the rest of her morning talking to Bud and Alcee about all she knew. No matter how good her shields had gotten with her practice at Fangtasia, some people just projected too much. Alcee was one of those. She tried to block it out as much as possible, but he wasn't making it easy. He was thinking very not nice thoughts about the dead. It took every ounce of self control she had built up from years of hearing what she shouldn't to not slap the man.

This only the police officer's ideas that Sookie was at the very least dumb, or possibly even crazy, as she distractedly had to ask them to repeat their questions a few times. By the end, the cops were wondering if his murder had to do with the sex party Sookie had heard him mention. Both seemed shocked to hear about such a thing in their town.

When Merlotte's actually opened, Sookie only had to serve for a couple hours before it was time for her to go. Normally, she would have gone home first and gotten ready, but Eric had been in such a bad mood the previous night, she figured it would be wise to get there as soon as possible. Usually, he preferred her to look "put together" as he had complained once when he scheduled her to come in after working at Merlotte, and she had shown up in her uniform. But with the setting sun and emergency vampire business, she figured this would not be a vendor meeting.

As she drove, Sookie thought about her day. It was odd to her that instead of making her previous plans feel trivial, everything that had happened seemed to solidify the idea that she needed to get out and do something, something for herself. Just because Sam couldn't go with her, didn't mean she had to stay home with a pint of ice cream. Sookie decided that tomorrow she would call around until she found a partner in crime for her Friday night.

She was her own woman, and she was bound and determined to prove it to everyone. The ever annoying rational part of her mind chimed in that she especially wanted to prove it to Eric and Sam, but she mainly ignored that as pride in her own self-sufficiency swelled within her.

It was about that time that her car died. Of course, it was in the middle of nowhere; there was little else on the road around here. After a few more tries at getting the engine to turn over, Sookie popped the hood of her car. She stood in front of the engine, hands on her hips, and identified the very few things she recognized. Of course, no matter how hard she stared at the engine, no divine inspiration struck her as to the solution.

Finally, after a kick to the tire for good measure, she pulled out her cell phone.

"Where are you? You said you would be here at sun down."

"Well, I was trying, but my car just broke down."

"I knew I should have replaced that… thing."

"I almost have enough to saved to replace it." She was going to ignore the part where he mentioned that he had thought about buying her a car. "Is there anyway that someone can come pick me up?"

"I will be there soon."

"In a car…" She had no intention being a passenger for one of Eric's flights.

"Yes, in a car." From his tone, his mood had not improved after his day rest. She heard the line go dead as usual. It was definitely a vampire thing.

She closed the hood and plopped down on top of it. The night was not as muggy as usual. Summer was slowly giving way to Fall, and she did not feel like being in the stuffy car. Any concern over Lafayette's murderer being out and about was solved as Sookie opened up her mind. It would be hard to sneak up on a telepath.

When she heard something in the woods, she was surprised by the familiar feeling of a shifter's mind and another odd signature she did not recognize. It definitely was not human.

Caught up in trying to figure out the mystery mind, Sookie did not realize they were quickly approaching her, until a woman stepped out of the woods with a razorback boar. Sookie slid off the hood, not wanting to be caught on her ass with the dangerous animal and equally dangerous looking woman.

"Good evening." Eric couldn't be far right? The thought of Eric coming in to save the day was an odd one, but Sookie was beginning to hope it anyway. Every one of her nerves was screaming that this was no good, but she decided running probably had little point.

"Hello… are you Eric's pet?"

Of course, this creature would know him. "No, but I am his employee, and a very important one." Why did everyone always assume that? Eric had plenty of human employees that were not considered "his."

"I see." The woman's outfit was tattered, making it even smaller than it had started out. When she spoke, Sookie could tell that she had eaten something very raw recently, and it wasn't sushi. Her hair was as crazy as Sookie was beginning to think she might be.

"Not to be rude, ma'am, but I have to know. What are you exactly?" It felt kind of nice to be able to ask someone else that for once.

"I am a maenad." The word struck Sookie. She was pretty sure it was Greek, but couldn't remember anything else useful.

"I see."

"Now, that I have answered your question, I need a favor from you."

"What can I do for you?" Sookie wanted to keep this civilized for as long as possible.

"I need you to get a message to Eric Northman."

"If you wait a little longer, he will be here and you can give him the message yourself." Maybe the information that he was coming would help her in some way.

Instead, the wild gleam in the maenad's eye only grew. "Oh good, then he can be the one to find you!" She squealed with glee, and luckily Sookie heard the inherent threat in her comment.

As she tried to duck around the car, she felt her flesh being ripped open as if someone had dug a sharpened rake into her back. Sookie crumpled to the ground in front of her car. Sobs began to spill from Sookie as she registered that she was once again alone. Only, the tears brought no relief to the pain that was spreading over her entire back.

She had just begun to contemplate dragging herself off the road in case a maenad was not the only thing out in the woods, when she heard the screeching of tires. _Please be Eric._ As angry as she was at being some sort of post-it for him, she knew that she needed to be rescued this time, and he would know what to do.

"Sookie?" His voice was quiet as if he didn't want to startle her.

"You realize this is your fault, right?" Okay, so, she was pretty angry about being used like this. Unfortunately, even her anger did nothing to diminish the pain. In fact, she would have sworn it was getting worse. Didn't things like this usually turn into a dull ache eventually?

"Sookie, I have to get you into the car."

Before she could even make a sound of disapproval at how much it would hurt her, she had been picked up under her armpits. He was carrying her in front of him like someone holds a cat who might bite. Of course, the corvette did not have a backseat, so he carefully arranged her over the middle. When he got in the driver's side, he lifted her torso up and settled her upper half on his lap. No matter how carefully it was all done, Sookie had bitten her tongue so many times to keep from screaming, that it was now bleeding.

"If you make one nasty remark, I swear I will bleed out all over your car!" She needed a distraction.

"What happened, Sookie?" Eric was growling, and she could feel him practically shaking with anger.

"You needed to get a rather painful message, apparently. So, can I send back a big ole "message received?" Or do we need to try this again and see if she can actually get my throat next time?"

"She who Sookie? I need information in order to help you, and you are not helping right now."

"Sorry, I am not feeling very gracious. She said she was a maenad."

Eric did not wait for further information. He pulled his phone out without so much as jostling her and began to talk in his foreign language with whoever was on the other end. When he hung up, probably without a good-bye, he began slowly pulling strands of Sookie's long hair out of the blood that covered her back before it could dry that way.

With as much pain as she was in, the gesture was still a comforting one. She wanted so badly to simply pass out, but as the pain grew even stronger, something told her she wouldn't be able to.

"I knew you would come." She didn't know why she said it, maybe the pain was making her crazy.

"It's going to be alright Sookie, we are going to make you okay." Eric almost sounded concerned, but Sookie could not turn her head to look and see.

"At least I finally got you in my lap…"

"That's it, prepare to have to replace your upholstery." As long as she could joke, she would be fine.

"Too late, we are here."

There was no way they could have gotten there that fast. Well, no legal way. Sookie had not noticed that he was going especially fast, but then, she had been focused on other things.

In one fluid movement, he had them both out of the car with Sookie over his shoulder. It was all settled without her feeling too much extra a pain, a blessing she was currently thanking God for. When Eric literally kicked the door in, Pam appeared.

"Mmm, she is bleeding."

"Pam, is Dr. Ludwig here?" He was not amused by his child.

"She is waiting in your office." Pam was properly cowed by his tone.

She opened the office door to save the hinges, and together they placed Sookie on the couch in his office with her back exposed. The waitress was once again grateful for the little things, like that the couch was leather instead of a more absorbent material. She had never seen anyone sitting on the couch and did not want to think of its primary use.

Dr. Ludwig stepped in front of Sookie, and they were practically face to face. The waitress actually giggled at the sight of Ludwig's head next to Eric's knees, until he crouched down beside them.

Obviously, Dr. Ludwig and Tolkien had been great friends because she was pretty much a hobbit incarnate. Whatever she was, Dr. Ludwig was definitely not what Sookie had been expecting when she heard doctor.

"She's been poisoned." The doctor addressed Eric as she looked over the wounds. "If we don't act soon, she will die."

"Well, that is just peachy, doctor. Please tell me there is some master plan to save me?" Sookie was a little tired of all these non-humans acting all superior.

"As a matter of fact, there is a plan."

The woman was much to chipper when Sookie was in this much pain. Did people feel this way about her? "Oh goodie."

"Eric, if you can get blood for a transfusion, you and at least two others will need to drain Sookie."

"That sounds like a terrible plan! What kind of a doctor are you?" Sookie went to push herself up, but Eric stopped her.

"The healing kind… Now, settle down. Your blood has been infected with the poison, you need a transplant, and this is the fastest way to do it. Eric, can you get the blood?"

"Human blood!" She peered into his face, willing her eyes to fierce. He only smiled in return. She was not sure what to do.

"We can get the blood. Sookie, what is your blood type?"

"O Positive."

"Pam, if you would."

Without preamble, Dr. Ludwig leaned forward and began to lick the wounds. Sookie shrieked and tried to move away again.

Eric's hands were around her face before she could actually get anywhere. Though he effectively stilled her, his hands were not harsh, or even uncomfortable. The doctor's tongue was practically digging into the wound now.

"Sookie, you need to let Dr. Ludwig do what needs to be done. She is the best at dealing with supernatural injuries. Trust me."

Eric had never asked her to trust him. His blue eyes were perfectly clear as he spoke the words. There was no hint of the usual anger or lust, he was honestly asking for her trust. "Alright, but if she gets poisoned, it's on you."

Eric actually laughed, still close to her.

"You know, this is all your fault, and I still haven't heard a hint of an apology for it."

"I am sorry the maenad picked on you." He made it sound like she was back in the third grade and a boy had pulled her pigtail.

She glared at him, trying to ignore the dwarf/woman who was still licking her open wounds. "That is not nearly good enough, Eric."

"My dear, sweet Sookie. Words cannot express how grieved I am that the nasty maenad has hurt you, marring that perfectly voluptuous body." His hand caressed her cheek as he spoke, with only a hint of humor in his eyes.

"Much better." Hopefully, if he could take this all so lightly, it meant that she did not have to worry, even though her words were now coming through gritted teeth. Things did not sound quite as humorous that way. "So, what did you do to piss off a maenad?"

The humor left his eyes, and Sookie was fairly certain it wasn't because he took offense to the question. It may have had something to do with the fact that the world was suddenly turned a horrible shade of yellow.

"I don't think humans are supposed to turn that color." Sookie thought Pam had left, but that was definitely her voice.

"Wait…" She had meant to ask what color she was turning, but another shriek left her mouth instead as the pain doubled, which she had previously not thought possible.

"If you want to save her, you need to start now." That was Dr. Ludwig.

"It will be alright, Sookie." Eric's voice whispering in her ear was the last thing Sookie registered. It turned out she finally could pass out.

* * *

><p>"Welcome back Sunshine." Pam was staring at Sookie as the human's eyes fluttered open.<p>

"I didn't know we were to the pet name stage."

"No, but you kind of taste like it… or how I remember it." Pam licked her lips as if remembering Sookie's flavor.

"Interesting… I had no idea."

"Eric will be glad you are awake. Really, I don't know why the maenad had to pick you of all the people who work for us. The other humans are so useless."

"Awww, Pam, I didn't know you cared!" They were over their unpleasantness the other week. Whatever reaction Pam thought Eric was going to have, it seemed he hadn't, so Pam was back to teasing.

"Yes, well, don't let it go to your head." She rose to leave.

"I'll try, but I _am_ only human."

"Are you?" Pam was goading her, and she knew it. Pam's sense of humor took some getting used to.

"So, what happened anyway?"

"Well, Eric, Chow and I all got to have a nice taste of you." Sookie had met the new bartender already and was not surprised to find he was the last vampire to do the deed. "If Eric wouldn't be so weird about it, I would ask you to get hurt more often. That was delightful. Your shirt had to be ripped off, of course, and we all held you in our laps. We can repeat the process any time you like."

"Pam!"

"Don't worry, Eric placed a towel over you before Chow and I got our turn. Rather selfish, actually."

Sookie's mouth dropped open. She was not sure whether she was more shocked by the fact that Eric had seen her half naked, or the fact that he had taken the time to cover her while she was so vulnerable.

"Really, I don't know why you are so modest. Most girls are happy to be so admired."

"Just ask Eric, I am not most girls."

"Yes, I am aware." She had gotten a spare shirt of Eric's from a closet.

It looked so beautifully clean, unlike the rest of her, that Sookie could not stand the thought of putting it on in her current state.

"Pam, I don't suppose there is a shower here?"

"Yes."

Sookie followed the vampiress into the store room. It was a very rudimentary shower set-up, but all Sookie needed was hot water and soap. Pam actually promised to stand guard for her, so she felt relatively safe as she began the long process of cleaning. Between the sheer amount of dried blood and the fact that she was moving at a snail's pace because of how weak she felt, it was amazing the warm water didn't run out. But it was also one of the best showers of her life. Mostly because she was still alive.

Pam had slipped a pair of what she must have considered underwear into the room. Sookie managed to put those and the shirt on, but all her other clothes were too far gone. It would be amazing if she could save them. Luckily, the shirt was big enough that it was like a short dress on her, a very short dress. At least the color looked great with her tan.

Barefoot and wary, Sookie made her way back to office. Out of habit, she took the seat beside Eric's desk. She had a brush in her purse, and it was time for her to try and tame her hair. The motion reminded her that her back was still in a very precarious state, and she had to pause after only a few strokes.

It was about this time that Eric entered the office. She refused to look at him, but her face was turning bright red anyway. She struggled through another stroke while he took his seat.

His hand closed over the brush as she rested. "Why don't you let me?" It would have been a sweet gesture, if he hadn't grabbed the brush before she could agree and spun her chair till her back was too him. Still, when he actually began, he was surprisingly gentle.

"I am glad to see you are feeling better."

"I am just glad to be alive. She certainly didn't seem to care."

"I truly am sorry, Sookie." He was working slowly through a tangle, but she could barely feel it pulling. He had sounded very sincere for once.

"I, well, I wanted to thank you for saving my life." She knew it was a cope out, but it was easier to say it now when she had an excuse to not look him in the eye.

"It was my pleasure." Now, that was the tone she was used to from Eric.

"So, really, why would you piss off a woman who had already been driven mad by the god of wine…"

"Sookie, you continue to impress me with your depths."

"No deflecting."

"It is not really a matter of what I did as much as what I did not do. We believe she is looking for tribute. Maenads are women who became immortal when Bacchus put too much of himself into them. Of course, that means they feel very attached to the consumption of alcohol. Supernatural ownership of bars seems to be a personal affront to her sensibilities."

"So, what are you going to give her?" She was distracted by the feeling of her hair being parted into sections. Was Eric braiding her hair?

"We haven't decided yet. It has been quite some time since we had to deal with one of them, but we will figure out something appropriate."

She heard the brush as it touched the desk and reached back to feel the long braid of her hair. She turned her chair around to look at Eric for the first time since they started talking. Of course, his hair was braided every once and a while, but having him do her hair had to take some getting used to. She could only nod at him as she idly flipped the end of the braid where all the loose hair was.

"You look good in my clothes." His voice was heavy with lust, and Sookie could have sworn the office had shrunk. It was hard not to feel exposed in a man's button down shirt and some lacy excuse for underwear.

Sookie's breath was coming faster as he stared at her in that way. That level of admiration and desire was not something she was used to. Usually, any of his comments were a part of some joke, but his eyes seemed so sincere in their longing.

She had to break the spell. "So, why did you ask me to come in tonight?" He had been slowly leaning towards her. Vampires rarely did anything slowly, and it worried her more than his vamp speed. Her voice cracked when she spoke.

"Now who is deflecting?" He was too close for comfort as he whispered.

"It isn't deflecting if we get back to business." Her voice was a little stronger, but her overly difficult swallow did not look confident.

Eric laughed, leaning back in his chair again. "I suppose you are right. It would have been a nice distraction though."

"I don't do distraction, Eric."

"Yes, I know." He almost sounded sad. "Things have been calm here which is why I have only needed you for the small jobs. However, a job has come up in another area that could use your skills."

She still liked hearing someone call her quirk a "skill." Slowly, she was beginning to see it that way the more she was around Eric. "You want to send me to another state?"

"A very old, very powerful vampire has gone missing in Texas. They could use your help to find him."

"Is it safe?"

"I do not ask this of you lightly. I will traveling with you to ensure they do not try to detain you. Unfortunately, since I am Sheriff here, I am not free to roam through other's territories. I will be posing as someone else."

If it weren't for the fact that Eric had been unable to tell her for sure that she would be safe, she would have laughed over the thought of Eric with a fake moustache and trench coat.

"Why is this so important to you, Eric?" If nothing else, he would not risk his rather profitable employee for any old job.

"The vampire who is missing is my maker, Godric."

* * *

><p>I know, I am nothing but a tease!<p>

If you are wondering, I am changing the timeline from the book a little. Nothing too serious, and it will all become clear later.


	13. Chapter 13

Few things to clear up:

1) I know you are all excited about Texas, but give me a couple chapters (should literally be two)

2) For all my little counters out there, CH has said several times that blood bonding is not some specific formula, and I plan to stick to that. That is to say, if Sookie and Eric exchange blood again, that will not necessarily mean they are bonded

3) I have obviously decided to use Godric, but the actual story line will be much closer to SVM and all of the backstory with the two and Eddington will not be making an appearance

4) After a very serious discussion with one of my reviews (Thank you Sarifina) I have realized some flaws with the early story line. I will be re-writing some key sections. My next chapter will probably be a short section, and I will include the chapters that have been reworked in case you all want to read the changes.

Now that all of that is finished, hope you all enjoy this chapter… It is a little shorter, and it definitely changed when I wrote it out. However, I kind of like it!

* * *

><p>Eric attempted to cover up his anxiety over the matter as they discussed details. He had many instructions for Sookie, including that she should go ahead and start calling him Leif to cut down on the chances of slipping.<p>

He wrote her an advance check to go shopping. Appearance seemed to be a big thing to him all the sudden. She put up a small fight, but was much too tired to make a real go of it. The clock had signaled the end of Wednesday and the beginning of Thursday by the time Eric/Leif finally decided Sookie was yawning too much to be paying proper attention. Or maybe it was that the sun would be making an appearance before too long. The poor waitress had found a dead body, worked a partial shift at Merlotte's, been attacked by a crazed immortal, been sucked dry by some vampires, had a blood transfusion she couldn't remember, and then had a major vampire emergency dropped in her lap. She was beyond worn out.

She traipsed out to his car through the completely empty parking lot, having refused to let him carry her. Her current apparel was forgotten momentarily, until the breeze from Eric passing her to open the passenger door brought the tails of the shirt flying up. Sookie quickly flattened the cloth out, but from the way Eric was smiling it was too late.

Then again, the Viking had been her shirtless earlier… what were a pair of lacy panties? She stuck her chin up in the air with more dignity than she felt and refused to look at him or acknowledge his smirk as she carefully situated herself in his car.

Neither said a word as Eric drove back to Bon Temps. Despite the ridiculous speed at which they were traveling, Sookie actually dozed off once or twice. The change of pace when they got to her driveway was jarring. Suddenly, they were a part of some snail race. Eric was grimacing as he eased along.

"There's no one home to worry about waking, Leif." She was proud of herself for remembering despite her exhaustion.

"I am not worried about that. Your driveway is terrible, and I do not want to damage my car."

Her fatigue made that funnier than it should have been. In fact, normally, she would have been up in arms over his talking about her home, but all she could do right then was giggle.

Eric looked worried as she started tearing up. Sookie fought for control, finally ending the giggle fits, while wiping away her tears.

"Sookie… I need you to get rested and be ready for this assignment." Eric was not laughing.

"I know."

"Saturday was the earliest they could book a jet for us, which puts us in Dallas later than I wanted. You will have to make up that time."

Sookie looked at Eric with heavy lids, nodding. "I will find him, Eric. I promise."

"Leif."

"Right, good night, Leif." She leaned over in the car and kissed Eric's cheek. "Better not tell Eric about that. I don't think he likes me kissing anyone." She had definitely crossed over to that stage of sleepiness that closely resembles drunkenness.

Before she could lean back, Eric had turned his face. He grabbed her hand, which was still wiping away stray tears. Slowly, he took one of her fingers into his mouth, sucking away the drops that remained. Then his arms were around her, pulling her into his hard frame, but there was nothing uncomfortable about the way that his lips were moving against hers. Eric had obviously written the text book on kissing, and Sookie was more than happy to let him work his way through the techniques. His tongue must have had more muscles than a human because it was doing impossible things.

A desperate need to breath finally pulled her away from him. She stared at him wide-eyed as what just occurred penetrated through the haze of exhaustion. The heat in the car was suddenly unbearable, or maybe it was the way that Eric was looking at her.

Sookie opened her door and stumbled out, right into Eric.

"Sookie…"

"Leif, that was a lot of fun, but I need to go to bed." She patted him on the arm genially.

"Invite me in Sookie… just say the words."

"Leif, I hardly know you." She tried to step around him, keeping it light. Somehow she had gotten turned around and was facing him again. His hand around her arm should have been a good indication, but she was honestly confused.

"Sookie, I want you." His voice was raspy with need.

"Oh, I know…" She said that almost too convincingly. Luckily, he had no way of knowing how clearly she had seen it in his mind. "I will tell you the same thing I told Eric… I don't do fuck and feed, Leif." That was not exactly what she had told him, but it would seem a tired Sookie equaled a vulgar Sookie. She had heard the phrase enough outloud and in people's minds at Fangtasia to understand the concept.

She pulled her arm away, or more precisely, he let her pull her arm away. The lack of inhibition was also making her personal sense of outrage come much faster. Sure, he was a good kisser, alright, amazing, but that did not give him a free pass into her panties!

"Now, good night!" She marched up the stairs, unlocked her door, went into her room, and crashed out on the bed. Sookie quickly nodded off in Eric's shirt with lips that still tingled.

* * *

><p>Her near death experience and whatever had happened with Eric had solidified her need for a non-vampire getaway night. Eric wanted her prepared for Texas, and she intended to be. However, there was no way she was going to be of much use as stressed out and uptight as she currently was.<p>

With that in mind, she had gone to her mental checklist of possible candidates for her night out. Arlene had been quickly crossed off. Besides the kids, she was still recovering from Rene despite what it might look like. Everyone else in the town had been so glad the messy affair was over, they had not thought too much about how he was killed, but it hadn't sat well with his wife. She was suspicious, though she wasn't quite sure of what yet.

Of course, Sookie couldn't go out with Jason. She wanted to have a good time, not watch her brother make a pass at everything in a skirt. She called Tara, enticing her with Girl's Night Out, but her friend already had plans with Eggs. Tara had suggested JB, but Sookie knew that he would expect more out of it. No matter how pretty and dumb he may have been, Sookie could not see anything lasting with him.

She was not really close with any of the other waitresses, and really, she needed someone who could be there just in case. Her incredibly bad luck had not gone unnoticed. That was when a thought struck her. It did not take long to find a rather large ad that included a phone number.

"Herveaux and Son, how may I direct your call?" A very professional lady's voice picked up after only one ring.

"Hi, may I speak with Alcide, please?" Sookie used her polite phone voice, calling him by his first name made it sound like she was already on good terms with him.

"Mr. Herveaux is out of the office. Could I take a message?"

"Please tell him Sookie Stackhouse called." She listed off her cell numbers for the woman who repeated it.

After a thank you for the receptionist, she hung up. Sookie's mind immediately started to wonder if he would get the message, if he would even remember her, if he ended up deciding not to call her back. But she knew all that negativity was useless. If he didn't call, then he didn't call. She would just figure something out.

Luckily for her peace of mind, she did not have to wait long before her phone was ringing. She was in the laundry room washing a few basic garments she knew she would need.

"Eric got you working as his secretary during the day now?" Alcide asked after the customary greetings.

"Actually, this is a personal call."

"Oh?" He sounded much happier now.

"I need to blow off some steam before a big business thing this weekend, only all my friends in town are busy. And the last time I went to a bar alone… well, let's just say that it ended with me agreeing to work for Eric, and it was anything but relaxing. So, if you are seeing someone, I totally understand, but if not, I was hoping you would be willing to escort me out for the evening. Just as friends." She added quickly. "But it could still be fun. Do a little dancing or whatever." She knew she was rambling, but this was only the second time she had ever asked a guy out, and the last time, she had been turned down for another woman. She was nervous; she really needed this to work.

"Sookie, breathe."

She did as he instructed, laughing at herself.

"I would love to go out with you… just as friends." He sounded amused by the phrase. "What night?"

"Tomorrow… I know it is short notice."

He hesitated. Of course, he would have other plans. "Yeah, we can totally do that. It is the full moon, so we can't be out terribly late." Sookie knew from Sam that shifters _had_ to change on a full moon; the same was probably true for Weres.

"Oh, I forgot it is a full moon, sorry. You know what, never mind. We can just do it some other time." Sookie felt bad asking that of him, no matter how much she wanted a normal evening.

"Sookie, we are going!" His voice was playfully stern, she must have sounded as desperate as she felt. "Now, where did you want to go?"

"Honestly, besides Fangtasia, I don't really know any clubs, and I definitely don't want to go there. In fact, no supernatural bars. I don't know if you all have like a Were bar or whatever, but I'd really like to go some place regular. No offense."

"Considering your boss, I think I understand." Of course, he meant Eric, but Sookie couldn't help but think of Sam as well. Odd that the only person she could find to go out with her for a human night was a Were… "Tell you what, I'll come pick you up around 7; I know the perfect place up here."

"I just want to dance."

"Oh, we can make sure that happens! You got a cocktail dress?"

Well, she had to go shopping for some new clothes anyway, why not pick up a party dress too. "I can find something appropriate."

"Alright, I will see you tomorrow night!"

"Looking forward to it!" Her excitement was bubbling over as she hung up. Of course, that only lasted for a moment before she realized that she was stuck at her house. Eric had brought her home, and she had no idea where her car was. How was she going to go shopping?

Before jumping to any judgments, well, any _more _judgments. Sookie decided to go outside and check. She had been in the house all day, it was possible that someone had dropped her car off. It would not be that out of character for him to do that. When she reached the porch, it was not her little yellow car in the driveway, but some shiny silver sedan that she did not recognize.

"Eric, you better not have." One kiss did not mean he could buy her a new car, especially not a kiss when she was practically mentally impaired. She had been so tired.

She opened up the driver-side door to find the keys sitting on top of a note.

_Your car had to be taken to the shop. They are fixing the numerous problems with it. Until it is finished, I have arranged this rental so you can run your errands and work for the shifter, if you must. Don't forget to pick up outfits that look professional with my money._

_- E_

She resisted the urge to once again rip up his note, but it was a close thing. Eric was by far the most high-handed being she had ever met! She had actually been inclined to think nicely of him for all of two seconds when she realized that he had not actually gotten her a new car, just a loaner. Only to finish the note with a statement which implied that without his warning she might have come back with Daisy Duke's and midriff shirts.

Sure her "professional" wardrobe was not exactly extensive, but for her entire working life, her day-to-day business attire was usually shorts and a logo-ed t-shirt. She had fashion sense, and she knew how to look nice.

Sookie folded up the note and stuck it in her pocket. She would show Eric Northman!


	14. Chapter 14

List of Changes

Chapter 2 - Is now significantly shorter

Chapter 3 - Small changes throughout, _**major**_ change to the third section

Chapter 4 - Small changes to Sookie's discussion with Adele, nothing major

Chapter 5 - Small changes throughout, nothing major

Chapter 6 - No changes

Chapter 7 - Super minor changes… like two lines.

Chapter 8 - Changes to Sookie's interaction in Eric's office

Chapter 9 - No changes

Chapter 10 - Sam's explains about the blood connection during their fight

Everything after 10 is the same... hope you all enjoy the changes as much as I am. And now for a little scene. It is Sam and Sookie, but it better explains their new relationship status

Just two more chapters before we leave for Texas, but they should be lots of fun!

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><p>Her trip to the department stores and then Tara's Togs had been incredibly successful. Having never really had the money to shop, it was a lot of fun to go a little crazy. Of course, she was still unable to buy some of the more expensive things she had seen. Spending that much on a piece of clothing was mind boggling to her.<p>

Riding the shopping high, she went in to work to get a little more business out of the way.

"I feel like my shifts always start with a meeting these days." She slid into the chair in Sam's office, He was already in there doing paperwork when she arrived.

"Is this a good or a bad one?"

"I don't know; it kind of just is…"

"Sookie?" Worry tinged his voice.

"I need next week off." She held her breath for his anger.

"That shouldn't be a problem. I have already cut your hours back and a couple girls are coming in to interview this weekend. One of them can probably take over for you."

"Thanks Sam, that would be great." He hadn't guessed why, so she was in the clear.

"Yeah…" She actually watched his facial expressions morph as he went from helpful to suspicious. "Why exactly do you need a week off?"

"Doing a big job for Eric." Her Gran would have been concerned over how easily she told half-truths these days. Sookie figured it was a reaction to prolonged vampire exposure. In fact, it was a healthy reaction.

"Do you want to work a couple lunch shifts instead? I could switch things around."

Of course, he would assume that she could still work during the day. No vampire would need her then, and she had not mentioned the location of the job.

"I won't be able to."

"What are you going to be doing?" He was on the scent now, and not letting up.

"We are going to Texas to investigate a vampire disappearance." She said it in as casual voice as possible, but he wasn't buying it.

"You are not going out of the state with him!" Sookie sighed, that was the response she had expected from him.

"Sam, don't yell." She was trying to stay calm for the both of them. "You know the arrangement, and I am getting paid really well for it."

"Sookie, it isn't safe for you to be running off. Too many things could happen to you!"

"Look around, Sam. Bon Temps isn't exactly a safe haven these days! Rene, then whoever killed poor Lafayette, and…" She had been saving this information in case she need to distract him. Now seemed like a good time. "I was attacked by a maenad last night."

"She did what?"

"She?" Something about how he said the word sounded way too familiar. He seemed to know a lot about the supernatural, and all maenads were women. It was still odd.

"Are you alright?" He had moved around the desk to inspect her, his earlier anger replaced by concern for her current well being. At least that had been a success, and she had managed to keep a cool head.

"Well, she got my back real good, and it was poisoned. I had to have a blood transfusion." She left out the part where three vampires sucked her dry first. "Lucky Eric was there, or I would have died."

"Yeah, lucky." Sure, she was angry at Eric, but he didn't know that, and really he had no right to be. She knew it was silly to think only she got to be angry at the big vampire, but she still felt that way. Sam was angry for all the wrong reasons.

"He saved my life, you could try not to hate him just this once."

"You're right; I am glad he was there _this once_." She did not want to ruin the moment by letting him know the reason she was attacked, but he needed some of the details.

"I thought you should know about her since she apparently does not like supernatural beings owning bars." It still felt weird to think of Sam that way.

"Don't worry about me, cher."

"Well, she attacked me to warn Eric. So you may want to take this a little seriously." The knowing smile on his face was anything but worried.

"I'm really sorry you got hurt Sookie, but she isn't going to do anything to me."

Everything clicked in her mind. She was sure if she should feel smart for putting it all together, or stupid for not seeing it earlier. His smug little smile spoke volumes.

"Sam, she tried to kill me!" Her boss was dating the maenad. No wonder he was not concerned. At least by his surprise over the attack, she knew he wasn't the razorback from the other night.

"You are one to talk, Sookie. Eric tried to kill me the second time I ever saw him because we were on a date. You don't see me saying anything to you!"

"The difference is, I wasn't sleeping with him! And I will have you know, you say shit all the time! Like just a little bit ago!" So much for not losing her temper.

"You _weren't_?" Of course he would get hung up on her use of the past tense out of everything she had just said.

"You know what I mean! Don't try to turn this around on me, Sam Merlotte!"

"You told me not to wait Sookie. I can see whoever I like!"

"Yeah, you can! I just thought you had a little better judgment than that."

They both glared at each other. It seemed any more they only bickered when they saw each other. It was like having a talk with Jason. That thought helped her bring her little tantrum under control. Of course, she did not approve of Sam's choice, but she wasn't exactly in a place to talk. At least he was finally trying.

"Look Sam, just take care of yourself. I do care about you."

"You too, cher. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you."

Maybe they could reach some understanding. If they couldn't be something more, Sookie definitely wanted her friend back. Sam may deserve better than some insane immortal, but she could be there for him no matter what.

With a bittersweet smile, she got up to start her shift.

"This town better be in one piece when I get back."

"With the way things have been going, I make no promises."

"That is probably wise."


	15. Chapter 15

**Again, if anyone knows or is a beta reader, please contact me! I have tried those signed up to beta for SVM, but none of them seem to be able to (or just aren't responding).**

Side note, I am playing down the effects of the full moon on Alcide a little… Otherwise they would not have made it through the non-date. If this bothers you, please feel free to review about it!

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><p>Sookie felt gorgeous. She had managed to find a dress that covered her back and the scars that were still healing. But a plunging neckline and tight skirt kept it from being "old maid."<p>

The color was a deep purple that made the golden tint of her skin shine all the brighter. It made her feel like royalty, well, risqué royalty, but definitely special. She had even put on some extra make-up for the occasion and was especially pleased with how well her smoky eye had turned out. Her blue eyes were twinkling as she checked her appearance once more. Her black strappy stilettos were surprisingly comfortable, but she had no idea how long that would last.

She was ready early. Now she understood why women were perpetually late getting ready. That way, they did not have to sit around. Now, she had to try not to mess anything up while she paced or sat. Mostly, that meant not messing with her carefully curled hair.

The sound of a very large truck pulling down the gravel driveway got through her musings. Alcide would not complain about what her driveway did to his car. A truck was so much more practical than Eric's little car. She hopped up and started towards the door before remembering her manners and waiting for him to knock.

When his loud rap finally came, she took the last few steps and opened the door for him.

"Hello Alcide, would you like to come in?" She was struck by how easily the words came out. Eric would have killed for such as easy welcome.

She waited for his answer. For his part, Alcide stood dumbfounded as he took her in. His mouth was hanging open, and any moment, she expected drool to appear at the corner. Not that she was unimpressed. He looked very nice as well in black slacks and a dark blue stripped button down. Sookie smiled at him, but was able to control her own desire to wolf whistle in appreciation.

"Alcide?"

"Are you sure you want to go as friends?" His eyes were that slightly hungry look Eric often had. Only, it did not feel threatening when it was from Alcide. Only a little flattering.

"Debbie…" Instead of the sadness she had expected to feel from him when she spoke his ex's name, Alcide growled at her. Sookie took a step back, startled by his reaction.

"Sorry… full moon. Emotions are kind of high."

"Are you sure this is alright?"

"Yeah, of course!"

After the play of the emotions he just went through, Sookie was a little worried for him. "I think you need a night off just as much as I do."

"You're probably right."

"Did you want to come in?"

"Let's just get going." The edge to his voice had finally disappeared. "I know a dessert place we can stop by before we hit the club." They both smiled at his turn of phrase. He sounded silly saying it.

"I still have to fit into my dress."

"There isn't much spare room," He turned to head to look at her angles, as if searching for my space. "maybe we can share a piece."

"Sounds good to me."

They had gotten to his truck, and she just stood staring at the lift on it. She walked up to it a couple times, grabbing the door and then the seat. None of the options seemed viable enough to even try to get up. The whole time, Alcide stood behind her silently, though she thought she heard a few snickers. Finally, she gave up.

"You are going to have to lift me." She said it quietly, embarrassed at her predicament.

"What?" She was fairly certain he had heard her, but she turned around to look up at him all the same.

"I said, you are going to have to lift me."

"My pleasure." Without further ado, he picked her up by her waist just as Sam had, hoisted her up onto the seat sideways. Once up, she was able to turn herself forward, though carefully, so Alcide could shut the door.

Between all the men in her life, Sookie was beginning to feel very much like a rag doll.

The drive to Shreveport was at a normal pace which gave them plenty of time to talk families. He expressed his sorrow over her parents and her Gran. Then, it was her turn when he told her about the death of his own mother. It turned out Alcide believed her death had caused his father to start gambling.

It definitely wasn't proper date talk, but then, it wasn't really a date. It was incredibly real and somehow perfectly appropriate. She had known Eric for months and hadn't learned really anything about him. Any talking they did outside of business was him trying to get a rise out of her with carnal commentary.

He was getting a little angry again over his father's problems, so Sookie changed the subject to Alcide's sister. She brought a smile back to his face.

"So, is she a Were too?"

"No, only the first born between two born-Weres inherit the change."

"My boss never told me."

"I thought we weren't talking about Eric." He practically snarled the name.

"Not him, my other boss." Sookie stuck her tongue at him, determined not to get upset over his mood swings.

When they arrived at the dessert bar, Sookie picked out a huge slice of apple pie from behind a glass case. The whole time, Alcide was saying hello to the endless stream of people that seemed to know him.

"Popular, aren't you?"

"Jealous?"

"No, but a little star struck."

He exaggeratedly puffed out his chest, making his way to a table. Sookie poked him, and he deflated dramatically as they sat. A server took their drink order. Both got coffee to go with the pie. The piece really was impressive, especially once topped with a healthy scoop of ice cream.

"I hope you are hungry." She looked doubtfully at the dessert.

"Don't worry, little lady. I have quite an appetite." His mood swings were beginning to remind her of someone else, someone she wasn't thinking about.

Sookie took the first bite as the waitress brought back their coffees. A contented sound escaped her closed lips as she savored the taste of cinnamon.

"Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, that is delicious." She had not quite finished chewing when she spoke. Alcide's gruff laughter drowned out the rest of the room as Sookie stopped the drip of ice cream that was rolling down her chin.

Her companion took his own large bite, studying her while chewing. She noticed he drank his coffee black when he took a sip to wash down the pie.

"I am afraid I have been a terrible non-date." Sookie laughed at his term. "I have yet to tell you how absolutely stunning you look tonight. Well, unless you count the drool earlier."

She blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, you clean up pretty nicely yourself."

He pushed his hand through his perpetually messy hair self-consciously. For being such a ruggedly attractive man, he was not at all conceited about it. That was definitely more than she could say about others. It was refreshing.

She took another bite, after her own coffee was fixed with cream and sugar. Even the coffee was delicious. If she ever did go on a real date, she would definitely have to remember this place, but that seemed unlikely.

"Well, too much more of this, and I won't be able to dance."

"Then, on behalf of all male who will be at the club tonight, please allow me to finish."

With a smile, Sookie set her fork aside and pushed the plate over to Alcide's side of the table, relinquishing her claim on it. As he polished it off, she had to wonder if hunger was a side of effect of the full moon as well or if it was simply an effect of being a sizeable man. He probably required more for sustenance than someone her size. Did that mean Eric needed more blood? She mentally kicked herself for thinking of the vampire again. It was supposed to be a vampire-drama free evening.

Alcide swiped the bill while she was berating herself mentally. Sookie scowled at him.

"Can't a friend buy another friend dessert?" His grin was falsely innocent.

"Alright, but a friend can't pay cover or buy all a friend's drinks." He definitely seemed the type. She would not have necessarily minded if they were dating, (it would be traditional then) but it blurred the lines too much when they were not.

"There definitely won't be any cover charge for you."

She figured he was avoiding the crux of what she had said and raised her eyebrows as her vampire boss often did when his co-owner was being insubordinate.

"How about I only buy your first drink?"

She shook her head. "Honestly, that is probably all I will be having."

"I am driving you home; you can afford to go a little crazy."

"It isn't that. Drinking and I don't mix well." She tapped her forehead, hoping he would understand.

"Right, that makes sense, I guess."

The fact that anything about her defect would make sense to anyone made her laugh.

"You are an odd woman, Sookie Stackhouse." Her laugh must have sounded a little bit more like Crazy Sookie than she thought.

"You ain't just kidding."

It was his turn to shake his head at her, but he was still smiling. She took that as a good sign; no serious harm done.

"Ready?"

"Definitely! Just the thought of this has gotten me through the last couple days."

"Been that bad?"

Sookie nodded empathically but waited until they were in his truck before saying anything specific. After another friendly boost, they were off to the next venue. She regretted the decision to share the events of her week with him as his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. He was angry over parts of what had happened to her. He had not been joking about the full moon making things tense.

"Well, I think maybe you should go ahead and have two drinks." He finally said after she was all talked out, and he was in control of his emotions.

"Maybe I will."

It did not take long to get to the club. And sure enough, the bouncer took one look at the two of them and waved them through. Alcide winked at her, and Sookie was feeling pretty pleased with herself.

They went to the crowded bar first. She did not need liquid courage in order to dance, but it seemed like the proper order of events. She paid cash for her gin and tonic. As she worked to shore up her shielding, she did a small scan of the place. It had become habit. She noticed two fuzzy spots that were probably some sort of Were or shifter and one void. Sneaking a peek, she sighed in relief when she realized that she did not recognize the male vampire. Alcide must have heard her because the question was apparent on his face. She nodded her head in the direction of the booth that housed the vampire.

"I was afraid it might have been Eric. It would be just my luck really." Alcide nodded and anyone else who heard might think they were simply talking about a jealous ex or something else innocent.

"Well, we've got a few hours before I need to be going. Want to find a place to sit for a while, or get right to the dancing?"

Sookie took the last sip of her drink and set the empty glass back down on the bar.

"Let's dance!"

"Alright." Sookie got the feeling he wasn't much of a dancer, which only made her all the more grateful for his being there. She led him onto the floor, his hand held high over her head.

Sookie had always considered herself a rather good dancer, and she quickly lost track of the songs as she responded to the morphing beats. Luckily, Alcide did not seem to tire easily. It probably helped that he mostly stood there as Sookie worked her way around him, making them both look good. She had missed that feeling of being one with the music as her hips swung with the rhythm of it.

When a slow song finally came up, Alcide spun Sookie back around to face him. She was glad for the respite as she was already to the glistening stage of the evening. Alcide's face was surprisingly strained. Sookie was not quite sure what to think. He definitely did not look like he was enjoying himself.

"You are the mistress of mixed signals." He almost sounded angry.

"Sorry?" Sookie did not understand his meaning.

"Well, you say we are here as friends, but you definitely aren't dancing like it." He leaned down farther as they rocked together.

"Oh…" She was beginning to feel very stupid and very selfish. Of course, she had told him it was just as friends, but she had not really thought about the logistics of that while she cut loose for the first time in months. It definitely was not fair to him.

"I didn't say I minded." He was holding her closer than just a friend, and she was fairly certain that she could feel something else pressing into her that was more than friendly. Only now that they were still did she notice that he seemed to be shaking.

"I need another drink." Her words were abrupt.

"I was just thinking the same thing." His voice sounded more than a little gruff as they simultaneously dropped arms and moved towards the bar.

They sat down at some empty seats, and Alcide ordered for them both from the bartender who was making eyes at him. That gave Sookie an idea.

"How about, to prove how good a friend I am, I play wingman for you?" Sookie had seen Jason force poor Hoyt into the role often enough. Of course, Alcide did not really need a wingman, but she was uniquely qualified for the job.

"Sookie, I am not exactly going to be taking a woman home tonight. Well, besides you, of course, but not to my home." His eyes were still hard. She was trying to stay out of his head, but it was becoming hard.

Her shields had already begun to slip with the alcohol, and she let them fall now. The thoughts of those around her were being laid bare. It was not exactly what she would call a pretty sight. Still, it was better than seeing that Alcide regretted telling her the truth about Debbie, so she focused on them.

"Well, several of the women here would be more than happy with a bathroom stall or even a dark corner as long as you are the one asking." She shook her head at the thoughts of the supposedly fairer sex.

"You can tell all that?" He seemed to have calmed down a little.

"Alcide, I could tell you in painful detail exactly what they would do to you under the booth or what they hope you would do to them." The thoughts caused her to blush in embarrassment for them.

"That must be very… uncomfortable for you." It was a diplomatic response.

"Not nearly as uncomfortable as having to know what the men want in regards to me. Some of them would just prefer to use the dance floor." A chill of disgust went through her.

Alcide mimicked her motion, only his shake did not stop. She thought he might be growling, but it was hard to tell with the loud music. His hand was clasped around her arm, and she sent a silent prayer that he didn't squeeze any harder. It was uncomfortable enough.

"Which ones?" His rage was now clear. That was obviously the wrong line to go down with him.

As if his own anger was being echoed, Sookie could feel resonant emotions from the dance floor. However, the fury emanating from the Weres had a much more volatile undertone.

"Alcide, I think there is a problem."

He followed her gaze to the scene she was now watching. Recognition dawned clearly on his face, overcoming his own displeasure. Two males Weres were glaring at each other with a human girl looking rather pleased in between them. She was thinking how amazing it was to have two men fighting over her. Sookie was thinking how those of her gender were bound and determined to shame themselves tonight, at least with their thoughts.

"Don't they know how stupid this is? And on a full moon? Sorry Sookie, but I need to get them out of here. There is no telling what might happen if one of them throws a punch."

"Go!" The two-natured, as Sam sometimes called them, were not public like vampires yet, and this would be a terrible way to make that happen.

He was already on his way over before she even spoke. The dumb girl being fought over had no clue how very close to danger she was as caught up in her own self as she was.

Sookie watched him guide the two men out a back door with minimal force. She was quickly getting the feeling that Alcide garnered a certain amount of respect, and not just among the business men in the community that she had seen earlier. Perhaps that is why Eric had finally agreed to their arrangement. She had to wonder what she had inadvertently signed him up for.

Of course, now Sookie was in the exact position she had been trying to avoid. She was alone at the bar. Several of the men around her had noticed Alcide leave and were currently weighing the risks of possibly pissing Alcide off, if he returned, and the benefits of getting to see Sookie shake her ass in the tight skirt she was suddenly very much regretting. Fortunately for her, Alcide looked very intimidating to human males. Considering the anger that had been on his face several times that night, she did not really blame.

When she could wait no longer, about the same time the locals began to gather up their courage, Sookie decided to take matter into her own hands. She followed the route Alcide had taken earlier. She would rather be outside with men who could turn into wolves than inside surrounded by some of the ones who thought they were wolves.

As expected, the door led to an alley that did not look very welcoming. The club backed up against another building with only this walkway in between just wide enough for a truck to back down. The darkness was only counteracted by a single flood light that was dim and blinking like something from a horror movie. It did not help that the alley was completely empty. The only hint that the Weres had been out there at all was an over turned trash can with a huge dent in it and the array of men's clothing both whole and in parts that littered the ground.

Sookie began to gather up the clothing and placed it behind the trashcan. The last thing she needed was for someone to grab all their clothes while they were gone. A naked Alcide was definitely not on the list of the evening's entertainment.

Anxiousness was beginning to set in. She was fairly certain they had turned, but she had no way of knowing when he would be back. She started to think of people she could call to pick her up. Eric actually popped into her head first, but even though he was obviously the closest, it would defeat the entire purpose of the night. Maybe she could get Jason to do the brotherly thing and come pick her up. Sam would be out running and probably unreachable.

She wanted to go back into a populated area while she waited. It would be at least an hour before anyone from Bon Temps could get to her and the alley was giving her the creeps. When she tried the door she had just come through, it was locked. Of course, they would not want people sneaking in that way. It made perfect sense, but she had not thought about it before she let it close.

Shaking her head at her own stupidity, she turned around to walk down the alley. The two buildings had an adjoining wall at one end, so there was only one way in and out. Sookie could see the light from the parking lot at that end. It would be a bit of a walk to get back to the front.

Her heels clicking on the somehow wet pavement muffled the sound of the door opening behind her. It had not rained in quite some time, so she did not want think about the slickness underfoot.

"Miss?"

She whirled around in time to see the door closing behind the man. "Don't let…" The words came too late as the door once against cut off the sound of the music inside with a unsettling finality.

"Shit…"

"Is everything alright, Miss?" He spoke with a strange cadence, but Sookie could not make out his face in the shadow of the single light.

"That door locks shut. We'll have to go around." Her last word kind of dropped off as the lack of thoughts around her finally registered. She was now alone in an alley with an unknown vampire.

Definitely a horror movie setting.


	16. Chapter 16

Little longer chapter to make up for the cliffhanger, so **enjoy and review!**

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><p>"Did your date abandon you?"<p>

"He just had to speak with his friends in private. He will be back here before too long." She had no idea when, or if, he would be back. Real fear was beginning to creep up on her.

A cell phone began to ring, and she realized it was her own. It was a good thing she had refused to leave her clutch in Alcide's car. She reached to open it up, but a pale white hand had closed over her own. His hand was not that tight, but she could not open her purse anymore. Her yelp at his cold touch echoed through the empty corridor.

"Sorry, I did not mean to startle you." His smile said something very different. "I simply wanted to offer my services. I could take you home."

He was staring into her eyes. She could feel the twitching of power pulling at her. It was annoying, but not nearly as noticeable as when Eric had tried. Still, she knew he was attempting to glamour her.

"That's alright." She took a step back, a Crazy Sookie smile plastered across her face. "I am sure that's my date calling, wondering where I am." She actually thought it was much more likely to be someone very different.

The fact that she could not be glamoured only appeared to bother him for a moment before his smile was back. In fact, he almost looked happier. "I doubt that very much. If I am not mistaken, I would say he is otherwise occupied." His knowing smile confirmed her fears about Alcide. He would not be back any time soon, and she was getting the distinct feeling she needed someone pretty quickly.

The vampire watched her face fall with something akin to glee. Any pretense of politeness had disappeared. It did not improve his looks. So far, every vampire she had seen had been attractive in some way or another. She had assumed it was simply a vampire thing. However, the man had obviously not been a looker when he was turned. His hair was a stringy, nondescript brown that was tucked behind too large ears. His face had a few pockmarks that must have come from before he was turned that did not help the thin lips and smashed nose. Given the time, Sookie would have wondered what had drawn his maker to him.

Right then, she could only wish him away.

"I will just call a cab." Screw how much it would cost. She could afford it, and it would be worth it to get out of here right then.

He had closed the distance between them and his hand was now holding her wrist much more forcefully. She dropped her purse in surprise.

"I have truly missed this part." The flickering light showed her a look in his eyes that she could have lived without seeing. "Glamour, of course, keeps you out of trouble, but it takes all the fun out of feeding."

Sookie's blood ran cold. No one had ever looked at her with such malice in their eyes. The maenad had looked crazy, but it was nothing personal. Whoever this vampire was, he wanted things to be very personal, and he was going to enjoy it.

She felt as if he was giving this time to sink in. He made no moves, just looming over her. He was taller than her, but not by much. The blood had long since drained from her face. She tried to wrestle her arm free without breaking eye contact, but even with Eric's blood lingering in her veins, she could not out match a vampire. Any surprise at her strength was covered by his leer.

As if he needed the vantage, he pushed her against a greasy wall. Her head knocked violently against the brick, leaving her dizzy and lightheaded.

"I work for Eric Northman." It was her last ditch effort. She thought maybe dropping her boss's name would scare him off. He did back up when she said the name, releasing her hand. He looked worried, and hope grew within her. After all, Eric was very important around here.

"My, aren't we full of surprises…" Her hope was quashed when he grabbed her arms. Her arms were now pinned against the walls at the sides of her head, and he was leaning into her neck. "Unfortunately, I am not supposed to be here, and I cannot have you running to tell him. It is a shame that I will have to kill you now."

Tears were falling down her cheeks as she began to struggle in earnest. No way was she giving up without a fight. Her arms were pinned, but her legs were free. She attempted to knee him. He may have been a vampire, but he was still male.

He still had vampire speed on his side. Her leg was now trapped between his own, and he was leaning against her. She was immobilized by his weight from the waist down and could only flail her elbows now.

"Oh good, the struggle is half the fun! Please tell me you are a screamer! My favorite part is listening as the sound dies away in your chest…" Sookie took the only recourse still available; she spat in his face. Her mouth was dry from terror, but she still managed it. He made no move to avoid it and didn't even grimace as it splattered across his cheek. It was difficult to spit upward.

He did pause for a moment, staring at her. Then, his abnormally long tongue snaked out of his mouth and licked off the saliva he could reach. As he savored it, the strange sound of approval shook through his body. The fact that Sookie could feel it was almost worse than his reaction.

"Oh my, that is good. This is going to be fun and delicious."

Having expected an attack, it took startled her when his lips were suddenly on her own. His cold, dry lips assaulted her own. She found herself contemplating the differences between this and Eric's kiss from the night before. Obviously, good kissing was not just a vampire thing. Of course, it didn't help that she did not want this vampire kissing her.

Had she wanted Eric to kiss her? Could there be a worse time to try and figure that out?

She redoubled her efforts at fighting him off, resolutely ignoring the effect her wiggling was having on him. It would seem vampires worked the same way in that department. She began moving her head from side to side, only a few short kisses got through, he was faster than her.

He moved her hands above her head, switching their position to hold both wrists with a single one of his hands. His now free hand grabbed her chin, slamming her head into the wall again. She could no longer move her head but she clung to consciousness and kept her jaw clenched shut.

He growled into her closed mouth, wanting what he was refused. An automatic gasp of pain gave him entry when he bit into the inside of her lips, almost puncturing through. She could now taste her own blood as his tongue took up the onslaught.

He must have stopped for a moment because all she could taste was the blood in her mouth. However, her eyes were shut tight, no longer wanting to see his sneering eyes. There was a lot more blood than she thought there should be a wound inside her mouth.

It took her nearly a full minute to realize that she was standing on her own. She opened sticky eyes when she heard someone saying her name. When had he learned her name?

"Sookie?"

Eric stood in front of her, an odd mixture of fading fury and growing concern. The anger was probably directed at the being he had just sent to a final death, but he looked so intense at that moment, that even the concern was a little alarming. She was not completely sure if that was something she was getting just from his expression, or if she had seen it with her quirk. She was very distracted by the stake in his hands, and the fact was she was covered by the bloody remains of the late vampire.

That explained all the extra blood in her mouth. She very seriously considered fainting or, the very least, vomiting. Both seemed like terrible ways to celebrate being alive. And being alive was a very good thing.

"Would you care to explain?" The last time he had killed someone while protecting her, he had immediately had to save her life. It was odd seeing him ride the angry high that even the small fight gave him while he tried to be calm for her.

Sookie had actually forgotten the giant vampire in the alley. Perhaps it was the head wounds, but she truly felt this joy over life needed to be shared. She surged forward and hugged Eric, barely above his waist even in heels. His arms did not move around her. In fact, it was as if she had wrapped her arms around a statue.

"Sookie…" His eyes looked strained. "Do you remember the last time there was blood in the room with us?"

She definitely remembered; she had just been thinking about it. However, it took her a moment to understand his meaning, but she quickly stepped back when she did. There was no Ginger to run feeding interference this time. She could still recall what her blood had been like in his mind. Eric had just saved her life; she did not want to be cruel.

"Sorry…"

"That is better. Now, can you tell me what part of this is getting you ready for our trip?"

Her joy was quickly crashing. Between the throbbing in her head and lips, the fact that she had just been manhandled by a vampire bent on killing her, and that she was now covered in all that was left of him, things were not looking cheery. She could tell the amount of vampire blood she must have just ingested was helping, after all, she was standing up straight. But even vampire blood cannot auto-correct repeated head trauma.

"Eric, please take me home?" Her voice was soft and tinged with desperation. "I promise to tell you everything, just please get me out of here." Tears were starting to form again at the corners of her eyes.

"Here, take this." He took off his v-neck shirt and held it out to her. Sookie did not take it immediately as she studied the absolutely perfect sculpting that was his chest and abs. Michelangelo wished he could have taken credit.

"Sookie, I cannot sit in car with you like that, go inside and clean up. You can wear that for now."

"It's locked."

"I am going to leave you for a moment; I will be right back." Did she look as fragile as she felt?

As soon as he spoke, he was gone again. Looking down the alleyway after him, she waited for him to return. She screamed when the door opened behind her.

"It is just me, Sookie."

She nodded, unable to find her voice as she looked up at him wide-eyed. His eyes had softened considerably. The anger she had seen earlier was almost completely gone now.

"The way to the bathroom is empty. Try to clean up in the sink. I will make certain no one comes in."

She nodded again. Walking around him, she did as he told her. Luckily, the bathroom had an industrial design. All three faucets were over one large basin. From what she could see, her attacker must have just kind of disintegrated because his blood was all down her front. Her hands were mostly clean as they had been above him, so the shirt had not gotten sullied. A large line of blood had run down her hair; she assumed it was from the arm that had been holding her wrists.

She set the shirt down on the paper towel dispenser and peeled off her dress. The extra material in the skirt that had been put in instead of a slip had kept her underwear clean, another small thing to thank God for.

She began scrubbing her arms and face, gurgling some water for good measure. She stuck her head under the faucet as best she could. She twisted her hair into a wet knot at the back of her neck. Her legs were the hardest to get, but between the sink and a lot of paper towels, she managed it.

The dress was thrown away as was the bra and shoes where the vampire had pooled, but she put back on her salvaged underwear. She could not have faced Eric only in his shirt. Again, the length of his clothes on her was a comfort, but it still left her feeling very exposed.

Eric was hanging up his phone when she came out. He took one look at her bare feet and noticed the slight wobble with which she was walking. Her head was still a lot to handle.

"Let me carry you."

She was amazed he had actually asked, well, sort of.

"Eric, I'm fine." It would have been more convincing if she didn't have a hand on the wall steadying herself.

"Sookie, do you really want to walk barefoot through that alley?" He had to be logical about it.

He took her sigh as acceptance and tucked his arm under her knees and back, drawing her up. His cold chest was oddly comforting. The idea of going back out in that alley was not pleasant, but Eric had definitely proven he could save her. Could something bad happen while she was in his arms?

The thought made her wonder if maybe her head injury was worse than she thought.

"Thank you for coming…" She addressed his chest.

"I was almost too late." Some of the anger was back, but he sounded as if he were trying to control it.

"But you weren't."

"If you ever do this again, do not expect me to have a car to drive you home. I will not waste the time."

She had hoped the whole time that someone, Eric, would show up to save her. It had never occurred to her that he would be bringing his car. Hadn't she made it clear she did not want to fly with him.

"This will not be a repeated experience, but if the world hates me that much, I swear I won't mind."

The car was at an odd angle blocking the corridor. She wondered how many traffic laws he had broken that night. Depositing her right into the passenger seat of his car, he was in and driving out of the parking lot seconds later.

"Pam is going to clean things up."

She had not really thought about that necessity, but she was very grateful not to have to wait around for it to be completed. "Oh good…"

Those were the only words spoken during the trip to her house. She was mildly aware that they should be talking to make sure she stayed awake in case she had a concussion. However, she did not want to be the one to break the silence. It wasn't really that late, and while she was tired from all that happened, she doubted she was in danger of being able to fall asleep.

She was feeling incredibly guilty. Any way she looked at it, this was mostly her fault. She had asked out a were on a full moon, and then, she had followed him out into a deserted area instead of staying among her own kind. Now, Eric had not only had to come save her from her own stupidity, but he was having to drive her home when he probably had very important matters to take care of for their trip.

Still, she couldn't help but smile at his expression when he eased down the driveway. Men always seemed to be attached to their cars, but it felt odd to see it in a vampire. Considering he might have owned a Model-T back in the day, perhaps it actually made more sense.

When he finally put the car in park, they both just sat. Eric wanted the promised explanation. Sookie knew she owed him more than just that.

"Eric, would you please accompany me inside my house?" She was not sure if there were specific words that needed to be uttered. She had never invited a vampire into her house, that she knew about, but she figured it was more the idea of an invitation than an incantation.

His eyes widened for a split second. "Of course."

She had opened her door when he reached in to pick her up once more.

"Eric, you can set me down, there ain't anything icky here, and I am feeling better."

"I do not wish for you to hurt yourself on the rocks."

It was hardly worth anymore protest as he was already setting her down on the porch in front of her door.

"Fine… come on in." She had noticed her purse was in the car earlier, but had no clue when he had grabbed it. It was easy to find her keys in the small clutch and open the door. "I don't have any synthetic blood to offer you."

"You could still offer me a drink." She would have said he must have calmed down if he was making jokes, but he was able to switch on command.

She was definitely grateful for his saving her life, but not grateful enough to become a blood bag. Instead, she decided to show her graciousness by ignoring his comment rather than getting upset.

"I'm not trying to dodge out of telling you or anything, but could you wait around a little while longer? I still feel gross, and I'd love a shower."

"Would you like me to come scrub your back?" Adonis was shirtless in her living room asking if she wanted company in her shower. After the day she had, she was beginning to think the world really did hate her.

"Don't make me regret inviting you in."

He smugly plopped down in the middle of her couch, arms spread wide over the back cushions.

"Don't take long." He winked suggestively.

It was one of the fastest showers she had ever taken, afraid what he might do if he got bored. Her bathroom lock would hardly be a deterent, but she had made sure to turn it all the same.

Hair wet, clothed in a nightgown and robe, Sookie walked back into the living room. Eric was sitting perfectly still on the couch. When she first began to work for him, it freaked her out the first couple times she walked into his office and he was in what she called "down time." Now, it was just another thing she noticed.

Her sigh was covered by the whoosh of the cushion when she practically fell into one of the arm chairs in the room. Eric looked at her, cocking his eyebrows in question.

"Here's your shirt." She chucked the small bundle at him, and he easily caught it. However, he did not put it on.

"There isn't any blood on it."

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" His need to get information was suspended.

"No… just seems odd."

"You could take your shirt off as well, that might make it less odd." She blushed in

spite of herself.

"That's not going to happen."

"So, what did happen?" And business Eric was back with a little of his anger. She would have to deal with losing the shirt battle.

"What happened is, I tried to live my life and life bit me in the ass for the trouble." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Sookie, you know I hate it when you do that." He was leaning forward now, watching her.

"Sorry…" He wanted specifics, and he was right, she had known that. However, she still wanted to keep some things to herself and had been silly enough to hope that might work. "I just wanted a night to relax, so I decided to go out dancing for the night. You saw how that ended."

His eyes were narrowed; she was still not being as direct as he wanted. "That does not explain why you were outside alone with another vampire. You were definitely scared of him. I could feel your terror. How did he get you out there if you did not wish to go? I know how ingenious you can be about not following along with vampires."

She looked down at her hands. "Well, I went after someone else and got locked out. He followed me."

"Sookie, what are you not telling me?" Her evasion was irritating him.

"I went there with someone else because I didn't want to go by myself. Fat lot of good it did me."

"Sookie…" She was poking the hornet's nest, but she felt like she was about to betray a friend.

"I asked Alcide to go with me."

Eric was on his feet now, and Sookie grimaced at the look of pure rage on his face. This was definitely bad for Alcide.

"Eric! It wasn't his fault!" When his eyes turned on her, she flinched into her seat, and he took a deep breath perhaps to calm down. "I made him take me out."

His chuckle was dark and not at all amused. "Please tell me how a human woman of your stature forced a Were to do anything. Did you silver him?"

"Of course not!" The mere suggestion was cruel. "He just, he knew how desperate I was."

"Sookie, if you were desperate, you should have called me."

As angry as he still was, it was hard to tell how much of that was serious and how much was an innuendo.

"I needed a no strings night, Eric. Vampires are all about strings."

"Odd, I thought I was the no strings one, and everything you did had to have strings."

"Jesus Christ, Eric, I wasn't going to sleep with him!" Her words looked to have calmed him down a little.

"Then why exactly would you ask a Were out on a full moon?"

"I didn't want to have to deal with guys who only wanted to get into my pants."

"And you think the wolf had something else in mind?"

"Yes! He was just there to make sure I could relax. Only there were some other Weres there, and Alcide had to stop them from fighting. I guess they changed once they were outside."

"Sookie…"

"Yes, I know. 'Sookie, you were incredibly stupid; you should not expect to have a life outside of your work."

"I was only going to say that Were's are volatile to begin with. Once you add in the full moon, it becomes very dangerous. I am sure the shifter disappears, and I understand he only turns into a dog." He said it as if he had not been the one who told her about him.

"Oh…"

"In the future, if you would like to go out again and my company does not appeal to you, I could ask Pam to escort you."

She thought of the female vampire and what it would be like at a club with her. "No! I mean, no thanks. I am just going to give up on it."

"Sookie, you have too much spirit to give up that easily."

"You didn't just swallow half a vampire." She said with a grimace.

He smiled down at her but had yet to sit down again.

"I could blame this one on you too, you know."

"I would love to know how you could make this my fault."

"I could have gotten off the hook simply missing a few pints, but he was going to kill me because I worked for you."

The arms of her chair creaked as Eric's hands tightened on them. Sookie was now craning her next to look up at Eric as he hovered over her chair.

"He told you that?"

"Yeah." He was very angry, and facts would be very important once again. "I tried to keep him from biting me by telling him that I worked for you."

He nodded as if he saw the logic in that. She felt a little better knowing the idea had not been completely off base.

"Only it didn't work. He said he wasn't supposed to be here anyway, and that he couldn't leave me alive to tell you who he was. Was he an outlaw or something." It felt very Old West when she said it that way, but sometimes the whole vampire mentality felt a little cowboy-ish.

"No, but all vampires are required to check in with me when they enter my Area." He did not often talk about vampire business, so Sookie paid attention. "That is how we keep track of what is going on. It would explain why I did not recognize him. At least I will not have to pay the fine this time."

Sookie tilted her head to the side. She had been following pretty well until his last sentence.

"When I killed Long Shadow, I had to pay a large fine to his maker. However, your attacker broke enough rules that even if we do find out who he is, I probably won't have to pay anything as I acted to protect Area Five."

"I didn't know."

"Vampire politics are just as complicated as human, and much more deadly."

"I am beginning to see that."

"We need to talk about something else before we get to Texas."

She would have made a joke, but he looked so serious, it didn't seem like a good time. Instead, she waited for him to continue. He had relaxed a bit after she told him about the vampire, and now he crouched down in front of her. They were almost eye level; though he was still a little taller. He was so close, their legs were touching.

"I need you to agree to be mine." His eyes held on to their seriousness, so Sookie knew he was not making some joke.

"Eric, I don't feel like arguing with you about this. It has been a very long night, so if you will excuse me." She made as if she was getting up, but Eric's arms were still on the arms of the chair, and he was leaning far enough forward that she could not even get forward leverage.

"Eric, please let me go to bed."

"Sookie, if you go to Texas as just my employee, I cannot properly protect you."

That caught her attention. She knew he had been worried about the trip. "What do you mean?"

"To vampires, the claiming of a human is binding. Had you been with a vampire when we met, I would have had to do all my business through that vampire. The vampires in Texas would not blink over taking you if you simply claim to be my employee, but if you are mine, they will not be able to touch you." Eric's eyes were fierce, and Sookie had to try swallowing several times before she was able to speak.

"So, if I refuse to be treated like some sort of possession, the vampires would just ignore that and take me?"

"It is a very real possibility. Your talent is rare." Seeing the fear on her face, he continued. "I told you vampire politics were dangerous."

"What does it mean for me to yours exactly?"

Eric's expression softened a little when he smiled. "Sookie, do I really need to explain that to you?"

She blushed just at the implication. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"I cannot risk taking you if you refuse the claim."

Her mouth dropped open. She knew how much it hurt him to say that. Without her, he had no reason to be part of the search for his maker. He was worried about Godric, but he would not lose her on the chance that they might find Godric with her. Sookie knew this because she saw it all in his mind. Just another brief flash, but the information was overwhelming.

"Sookie, what is wrong?" He had once again noticed the change. He saw too much, and she was going to have to be careful.

"I just… I didn't think you would be willing to do that." She was staring wide-eyed at him.

"Things are… complicated."

"Eric, I want to be able to help you with Godric. I really do, but I just can't agree to everything else that goes with your claim. There has to be some other way."

"I think I can make this work if you are willing to bluff a little."

She was intrigued to hear his idea, no longer privy to his thoughts. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, you could be Leif's. While there, you would have to pretend to be close to him." His smile had only the hint of a smirk. "But since Leif does not really exist, no one has any real claim on you. You can maintain your true independence."

For a moment, she just sat there, absorbing the plot. The sheer genius of it finally hit her. She leaned forward and hugged Eric around his neck enthusiastically. "Thank you, Eric! This means so much to me."

He awkwardly put his arms around her. Sookie giggled as she wondered how many hugs he had ever given that did not have an ulterior motive attached,

"What is so funny?"

"This is my second time hugging you today, and for all the things are you good at, you are not much of a hugger."

Suddenly, she was on her feet, crushed to Eric's bare chest tightly, but not unpleasantly. His hands went from rubbing her back soothingly to working gently on her muscles in a way that took the hug from friend to… not. But it still felt marvelous.

"I take it back."

Eric actually laughed. "You will never fall asleep with these knots."

She could only nod as his expert hands moved to her shoulders. Not even a sound of protest came when he took off her robe. When he moved them both to the couch, putting her in between his legs on the edge of the sofa, she only protested that he had stopped. Her Gran had sometimes scratched her back when she was a little girl, but no one had ever done this for her, and it was so calming.

His hands were strong, but perfectly controlled as he found every taut muscle in her neck, shoulders and back. She couldn't help but wonder how many women had gotten this same treatment, but she also could hardly care. When his touch lightened, she could feel herself relaxing into the land of sleep.

"I'm glad I'm Leif's; he gives really good massages."

"That isn't the only thing he is good at giving." Eric's lips were practically on her ear, and she should have been angry. Fortunately for him, he had kneaded that emotion right out of her.

Instead, goose bumps covered her skin, and a familiar "Mmmm" filled the air.

Sookie's eyes were refusing to open, and even though she knew she should stop him and go to bed, her arms were much too heavy to be moved at the moment. She was slowly leaning back against him, her breathing slowing into a steady rhythm.

As he could no longer get to her back, his hand moved to her scalp. She gave up on trying to convince her eyelids of the need to open and fully relaxed into him. She did not last much longer as his fingers moved through her hair. Sookie's terrible "night off" fell away into oblivion as she fell asleep in Eric Northman's lap.

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><p>Many thanks to my new beta, <strong>pretendi'mnotthere!<strong>

****Hopefully, you all will notice the improvement. If not, don't say anything you ungrateful ninnies!


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry for the wait guys, hope you all enjoy this chapter!

As always, these characters, places, and plots do not belong to me but to Charlaine Harris.

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><p>Sookie pulled her covers over her head as the sun flooded her room. The morning would no longer be denied as she cursed her blinds for not doing their job. As she finally succumbed to wakefulness she was struck by her surroundings, sitting straight up in bed, where she definitely had not been when she felt asleep.<p>

Fortunately, she was still in her nightgown with her sheet and blanket covering her. She noticed the note on the pillow next to hers.

_A car will be there to pick you up for the airport at 2 PM. Another car will meet us at the airport to bring us to the hotel. Everything there is taken care of, simply mention that you are with Leif. When the sun sets, we will leave to meet with the Texas vampires together. Please try to stay safe until then._

_- Leif_

_PS I had a wonderful time last night. _

For a moment, she began to seriously freak out, even checking her sheets. However, she quickly remembered that Eric had written the note. She could practically see him smirking, sitting on her bed as he wrote that PS line knowing nothing had actually happened.

Eric had been on her bed. Well, she couldn't actually be sure of that, but he had been in her room. It was unfair for her to get angry. As far as she could tell, he had only put her in her own bed for the night. Really, it was kind of sweet.

Something else important came to her attention as she calmed down.

As quietly as possible, Sookie slipped on her robe and grabbed the shotgun that Jason had given her. She began to ease her way out of her bedroom. Once in the hallway, she could hear the noise of pans and plates in the kitchen, and she could smell... bacon?

There stood the unmistakable figure of Alcide in her kitchen, cooking.

"Sorry if I worried you, but I figured the least I could do was cook you breakfast." Sookie had jumped when he spoke, unaware that he knew she was there. Of course, it was probably hard to sneak up on a Were. Alcide's voice was clear even if his back was to her, but there was something different about it.

Sookie set the gun down against the wall, not wanting him to see it.

"You really didn't have to do this, Alcide. It was my fault for asking you to go out last night when I knew it was a full moon."

"You might have known it was a full moon, but you didn't really know what that meant. I should have been the one to say no."

She just shrugged even though he couldn't see it. They could both try to take the blame all day long, it wouldn't changed what happened.

She began to gather things together, grabbing juice and utensils. Alcide was very focused on the bacon and had yet to turn around, but Sookie felt oddly comfortable with him in her kitchen.

"How do you like your eggs?"

"I'll take them scrambled."

The bacon must have been done because he put it on a plate and began cracking the eggs into the leftover grease just the way she liked it.

"You want some coffee?" She noticed he had not started any, and she definitely needed some.

"Sounds good." He was now concentrated just as hard on the eggs. "I am really sorry about last night. When I got the guys outside, they started pushing each other, then one changed and attacked the other. After we were all wolves, well, we couldn't exactly stick around in an alley in the middle of Shreveport. If I had any way of knowing that would have happened, I never would have take you."

"I know, Alcide, everything turned out fine."

"I know what happened to you, Sookie..." His voice was quiet, and she sat down quickly at the table. She had intended to keep that from him when she realized how guilty he felt.

"I didn't really expect you to still be at the club by the time I changed back, it was pretty late at that point. I checked just, in case, but when you weren't there, I called your cell phone. Eric answered. He wouldn't tell me anything, and he was pissed. I had to make sure you were alright, so I came over here. He, uh, told me what happened."

The eggs were done at this point, but he still was staring at her stove.

"Alcide? Are you alright?" She stood up and walked over to him, starting to get worried.

"Well, like I said, he was pretty angry, and I was not exactly calm either. I thought he had done something to you. We kind of got into it."

Sookie tugged on his arm, and he obligingly turned around. He looked terrible. His lips was busted, which explained why he was talking strangely. His left eye was swollen, and Sookie would have placed money on the fact that the rest of him didn't look much better. Only now did she see that his knuckles were scraped up as well.

"Did the Weres do this?" She asked almost hopefully.

He shook his head. "I would say you should see the other guy, but the few hits I managed to land have probably healed on him by now. We heal quicker as well. I couldn't even see out of this eye earlier."

"Oh, Alcide, please sit down." Eric had beaten up Alcide! How could the vampire who was so sweet to her last night be the same vampire who used others as punching bags. She led him to the chair and went to the freezer to pull out a bag of peas. Her Gran would have been appalled by the frozen vegetable, but it would help with the swelling.

"To be fair, I probably shouldn't have hit him when I knew he was angry." Sookie pushed the bag against his eye a little more forcefully than she had intended, shocked by this twist.

"You hit Eric first?" That was definitely not the scenario she had envisioned.

"Well, I pull up, and he comes storming out of your house shirtless. I just kind of lost it."

She began serving up their breakfasts. How long had Eric stayed after she fell asleep? It had not been that late when she fell asleep, but Alcide would have been there hours later. What had he been doing in the mean time?

"That was dumb, Alcide."

"Yeah, it was." One of his hands held the bag over his eye, and the other tucked into the breakfast he had prepared as if it was his first bite of food in days. Sookie was a little more reserved as she watched him. Thoughts of what had happened were curbing her appetite. She had started off angry at Eric, but if Alcide had thrown the first punch, could she really blame Eric for retaliating? After all, Alcide was still alive, so Eric had shown more restraint than the two times he had taken out someone who attacked her. In an odd way, she was actually impressed with Eric.

"So, he just stopped beating you up and told you what happened?"

"Well, I kind of changed into a wolf." He looked sheepish as he admitted it. "He told me if I woke you up, he would kill me. He looked pretty serious about it, too. It was really weird."

Sookie agreed. It was very strange.

"When I didn't change back, he told me what had happened. I thought he was going to attack me again when he told me about the vampire being all over you." He stopped abruptly, really looking at her for the first time. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine!" She really did feel fine too. Her head was back to normal, and she could only feel two small bumps on the inside of her lip.

"I'll say... you look great actually." His reaction was more surprised than appreciative. She was not sure whether to be offended or just surprised as well.

"So, you two hugged and made up?"

"Not exactly." He patted her hand soothingly. "Not proud to admit I kind of slinked off with my tail between my legs. I doubt we will be getting any more contracts from him, but that is my fault, not yours."

"Oh..." She hated to admit she kind of agreed with him.

Alcide switched back to the story when she didn't try to comfort him. "I left for a bit when he threatened to break my spine, but he left a little bit before sunrise. That is when I came back. I checked in on you, and you seemed to be fine. I slept for a bit on your couch, but I don't really fit. That is why I decided to make some breakfast instead."

"You really didn't have to."

"I know; you going to eat that?" Her plate was still mostly full, and even though her emotions had settled for the most part, she still found that the excitement from last night and for what her day would bring left her not in the least hungry.

She pushed the plate over to him and watched him devour it. Hunger being a side effect of the whole changing thing began to seem very realistic. Not even her brother put away this much food, and he was practically a championship eater.

"Well, now that you are here, you want to help me get my bags to the front door?" She was not a particularly heavy packer, but in her attempt to show Eric how professional she could look, she had gone a little overboard. Her bag of shoes was especially heavy.

"Where are you going?"

"To Texas with Eric, didn't I tell you?"

"No, no, you didn't." His voice had that low rumble of anger that was not quite a growl.

Now, she was going to have to go through all this again... 

* * *

><p>After she finally got Alcide to understand that she would be going to Texas no matter what he thought of the plan, he had actually been quite helpful. She still had some packing to do, so he helped her with what he could and stacked everything neatly at the front door. They ended up having a nice peaceful lunch together. Well, he tried once more to get her not to go, but he was very civil about it.<p>

He even waited around for the car to come pick her up before he left. She was surprised to find it was actually a van with a light-tight back area. It would seem she was traveling with Eric to the airport.

The plane ride was uneventful but still exciting. It was her first time flying. Add to that the grandeur of a private flight and Sookie was abuzz with nervous energy. Anubis took care of unloading the metal coffin from the van and loading back onto the plane while airport personnel grabbed her bags. She watched it all before climbing up the small stair to the plane. It was mildly creepy to think of Eric in there, but she also realized that if she was "his" she would probably have been used to it.

The size of the plane worried her for a bit, but then the bigger ones did not seem much more likely to stay in the air. The pilot got her a drink and made sure she was alright before going up to the cockpit. It was only the two pilots, Sookie and Eric's coffin for the whole flight. As she let her shields down, Sookie realized how wonderful a private flight would really be. Had she been on a commercial flight she could not have hoped for it to be as wait had been minimal and the flight itself was less than an hour. Neither of the pilots were strong projectors so she just got to read her book in silence, sipping her tea.

When they arrived at the airport in Dallas it was still an hour before sundown. The departure had not taken as long as they had planned for, so they were early. Luckily, the car was already there for her. A man dressed in a black suit with a little driving cap came up to you her as she descended from the small plane.

"Miss, if you will come with me." His long hair did not seem to fit right under the cap, but his confidence was apparent as she indicated which way she should go. It was a private hanger, so the car was parked just outside.

Sookie began to follow him away from the car when she noticed a mistake. The car ahead of them was just a four door something. No way was Leif's coffin going to fit into that. She desperately wanted to get into the car which was no doubt air conditioned, but if they were just going to have to change it out she didn't see the point.

"I thought that you all were going to take us to the hotel." Sookie was so glad she had chosen a cream colored sheath dress with the black stitching. It looked great with her skin, but it also allowed for the optimal amount of venting. Well, it was the most she could manage and still look this polished. She had even found her Gran's pearls to go with the outfit.

They were much closer to the car now and Sookie could see another man in a matching outfit. Only neither of them had gone to get her bags and she was still pretty sure they were supposed to go together. Eric's note had clearly said "us."

"No, ma'am, we are taking you." Something about his words struck her as odd.

It was easy to open her mind as she had already let her shields down on the plane. She had been doing it for Eric so much, it hardly even bothered her anymore that she was invading people's privacy. If they were thinking something they ought not be, well then, that was their problem.

He was overly concerned about the time of day, glad to have an hour of day light left. In fact, he was much more stressed than she thought a driver should really be. He was worried about making it to his partner.

He was worried she was going to figure it all out and make a scene.

The Crazy Sookie smile plastered across her face, she stopped dead in her tracks. These men were here to pick her up, but they had no intention of going to the hotel.

"You know what, I think I left something on the plane."

"That's alright. My partner can grab it, Miss." He signaled his friend who began to make his way over. There were about to be two of them if she didn't act fast.

"He wouldn't know what to look for. I'll just go." She managed to turn but his hand was around her arm.

"I need you to come with me." His voice was hard.

"I don't think I want to."

He was tired of the game. "You don't really have a choice. "

"Bullshit." Sookie knew one thing: she was not getting in that car with these men. His friend had made it through the gate and with them soon. "I am sorry about this."

She twisted her upper body towards him. The man had just enough time to ask "what" before her fist met his jaw. Jason had taught her how to punch when she was little. She was impressed with with herself when he stumbled back almost falling. The fresh vampire blood in her system nay have helped, but she didn't have time to think about that or the throbbing in her wrist as she concentrated on running back towards the plane in high heels.

The two Anubis Air guards who were ensuring Eric's safety while he slept were watching worriedly but could not leave their posts in case this was some of diversion. When she was close enough to them she risked a look back. The men had retreated to the car when they realized they couldn't haul her away without a scene. The sedan was already pulling off.

"Ma'am, are you alright? " One of the guards approached her, and she could hear him wondering if he should call the police. Anubis was big on discretion.

Then again, so was Eric. If they called the police she would have to spend the rest of the day answering questions. It would interfere with the reason why she was there, when it probably had something to do with it. No, it would be better to just let Eric know when he woke up.

"I'm fine. Just had a little disagreement with my driver." She knew that it probably sounded as crazy as her smile looked, but it was all she could think of. "Another car should be along shortly."

The guard nodded, returning to his post. He did not believe her, but he wasn't paid to question the clients. In fact, he was paid specifically to put up with a certain amount of odd.

Now that Sookie was still, she could tell that her knuckles at the very least were bruised, and she had definitely hurt her wrist. She crossed her arms, resting her injured left hand. Hopefully, the man's face hurt more.

Ten minutes later, the right car showed up to get both if them. Sookie made a point of shaking the man's hand while she asked him about their destination. He thought the overly long handshake was odd but answered truthfully. She allowed them to load up Eric, and joined the driver for the short drive to the hotel.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you all for your reviews!<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

I did not quite realize how much maneuvering I was going to have to do to combine with book storyline with TB's Godric… Hopefully, it turned out well, and still makes sense!

Big thanks to Pretendi'mnothere for saving you all from some really confusing moments!

* * *

><p>The Silent Shore Hotel did not really look like what you would expect from a vampire hotel, if one really had expectations of such a thing.<p>

"Welcome to the Silent Shore Hotel, ma'am. My name is Barry and I will be your porter." Barry was young, like not even legal drinking age, young, but he also seemed chipper. Well, he did until the coffin was pulled out of the back by security personnel.

Already suspicious from her encounter at the airport, Sookie did not like the fact that an employee at a vampire hotel would be nervous around a coffin. She delved into his mind to see what had him anxious, but had not expected what she would find.

She actually dropped her bag when she realized that Barry was a telepath. Of course, he was a terrible one. Sookie had improved greatly over the last few months, but poor Barry's skills were more like what she had when she was in grade school.

"Miss, are you alright?" The bellboy had picked up her bag and was trying to hand it back to her. Only Sookie was just staring at him.

"Oh yeah." She took the bag, remembering how very important this secret was. Eric's talk had driven home the point that in some ways she had been very lucky it was Eric who discovered her powers. It did not sound like other vampires would be quite so genial. Her alleyway vampire probably would not have been.

Still, it seemed cruel to leave him in such a state when she knew she was probably one of the few in the world who could help him.

"Barry, I am afraid I don't really know anyone hereabouts. Are you working tomorrow? I would love to talk to you maybe find out about what I can do during the day around here?" Her smile was natural even as she lied through her teeth about why she wanted to see him. He seemed a little skittish and she did not want to scare him away by sending him a mental note.

"Yeah, I will be here tomorrow." He seemed to like the idea of a pretty woman wanting his advice, even if he thought it strange.

"Thanks Barry, hopefully I will see you around." That was the God's honest truth.

The other telepath trundled off with the cart of luggage to deliver it along with the coffin. The daytime staff was made of up some impressive looking guards, and the rest of the human staff seemed much more at ease with the sight of a coffin being wheeled through lobby.

"I am with Leif." Sookie felt a little ridiculous saying that, but those were her instructions.

"Yes, ma'am. We were aware of your staying with us as well. Here is your key, you can follow the others upstairs with your luggage if you like."

"Actually, I was wondering if there was somewhere that I could get some medicine and maybe an ace bandage?"

"Are you alright, ma'am?" The behind the counter was pretty in the opposite way of Sookie: stick skinny, tall, porcelain skin and beautiful black hair. However, she was genuinely concerned, and Sookie appreciated that.

"Just fell, nothing too bad. I am afraid I might have sprained my wrist though."

"There is a store down the street, but your companion left instructions for anything you need to be brought to the hotel. Why don't you go up to the room and I will have someone go out and get what you need? Your dinner will be up shortly."

"Dinner?"

"Mr. Leif had a dinner ordered for as soon as you arrived."

Food suddenly sounded very good and stumbling around the city with her throbbing wrist did not.

"Of course, thank you. If you could have someone go out, that would be wonderful."

"I will have them go immediately; enjoy your stay ma'am."

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>The dinner Eric had ordered had been very good. She had not realized that Eric knew anything about food, but to get BBQ in Dallas was a nice touch. Of course, he may have just asked for anything, but he had at least thought about the fact that she would be hungry. The fact that he had thought about that little detail had saved her from being too angry when she discovered Eric had them both staying in one room. In the end, it was a false alarm anyway as the suite actually had two separate bedrooms. She had felt pretty silly at her almost tantrum when she found out.<p>

The supplies had been brought back by another bellboy, who unsurprisingly was not telepathic. Sookie did remember to tip him and was glad to find some ibuprofen among the supplies. Her wrist was now tightly wrapped, her bleeding knuckle had ointment on it and the throbbing pain had died down into a dull ache.

It was a strange feeling to be waiting in a hotel room with a coffin, waiting for your boss to pop out. Realistically, Sookie knew that when Eric was "asleep" for the day he could not be disturbed for anything, but all of her dealings with the vampires had been at night. Even then, it was never in Eric's house or wherever it was he stayed during the day. Her boss was not exactly open about these things, about anything really.

By the time she was finished with supper and her battle wounds had been attended, she did not have long left before the sun was completely down. Sookie had turned on the television just to have something to distract her from the coffin in the corner. The sound of some cooking show drowned out the creaking coffin door.

"Sookie?"

She jumped up from the couch, tweaking her bad arm. "Ow, shit!"

"What is wrong?" Eric was next to her holding her wrist steady as he examined her knuckles.

"I punched a guy."

"I am fairly certain my note told you to stay out of trouble, not to get into a fist fight."

"Well, Eric, he was trying to kidnap me." After having time to think over what she had heard in his mind, she was certain.

He carefully sat down, and Sookie moved with him rather than be yanked down. "Tell me."

"When we landed, a guy was there dressed like a chauffeur with a car outside the hangar. Only it wasn't big enough to fit you as well, so I said something. He started acting weird, so I looked into his mind. He didn't have much information. Only the place I would be landing and that I would be with a coffin. He didn't even know where he was supposed to take me, but someone was going to call him with the information."

She paused a for a moment. Eric looked serious, but not as angry as she would have expected, more calculating.

"When he tried to force me to go with him, I punched him in the face and ran back towards your guards before his friend could come help."

"Did you call the police?"

"No, I figured you would want to take care of it." The irony of the statement struck her. A lot had changed in her life since the day she made Eric promise that he not use his own particular brand of justice.

"You handled that very well Sookie. I am sorry I was not there to detain the men." He was still holding her injured hand.

"One of them is probably hurting more than I am."

"Would you like me to take care of that? It would not take much blood."

"No, thank you. I drank so much of whatever-his-name-was, I don't really want any more vampire blood in my system. No offense."

"Sookie, you should not leave anything that can be a distraction." He seemed to be getting a little angry with her, but she assumed he was just worried about how it would affect her.

She sighed, not wanting an argument. "Eric..."

"Leif."

"Leif," She almost stuck her tongue out at him, but spoke instead. "I can't be running to you every time I get a paper cut. The pain is not enough to affect my abilities; it will be fine."

He stood up abruptly, ending his contact with her. "Well, even if you will not drink, I should before we leave."

"Eric..." Just because the pain in her arm wasn't much, didn't mean she was willing to lose a few pints.

"These hotels have donors." He was already making his way to the phone, not in a playful mood.

"Oh..." It was her go-to misunderstanding response.

"Yes, could you send someone up please?" The front desk must have picked up quickly.

"We will leave as soon as I am finished."

"Alright." Sookie felt very uncomfortable. Maybe it was the stress of the situation, but Eric had suddenly become very cold.

The tension in the room was only heightened by the quiet knock on the door. Sookie retreated to the smaller room which she had claimed while Eric slept. The healthy brunette who had come in the room had started making her way over to the couch, and Sookie had no intention of sitting there while Eric... well, enjoyed the woman.

This time she knew good and well that she had no right to be upset. Eric was simply her boss and she had made it very clear that she would not be supplying him with her own blood. Of course, he had to be getting it from somewhere else. She just hated that it had to come in such a pretty package. And she hated how much the moan that she could hear through the doorway was bothering her.

* * *

><p>"You look very nice, a good choice."<p>

"Thank you." It was the first words they had spoken since Eric had knocked on her door to tell her it was time. The walk through the hall and down the elevator had been awkward, even if Sookie did have to admit he looked better after his meal.

"Leif? From Louisiana?" The vampire who had been sitting in the lobby rose to meet them. She was flatter than any figure skater Sookie had seen, and she was even paler than the receptionist. It looked as though she had become a vampire quite some time ago. Even her unusually long hair and gorgeous green eyes drove home the point of otherness.

"Yes." They nodded at each other in a vampire greeting. Sookie knew now that vampires never shook hands.

"This is her?" If he voiced sounded skeptical, the telepath decided to ignore it.

"This is _my_companion, Sookie Stackhouse." He put a little extra emphasis on the word, and the woman nodded her understanding, a motion Sookie almost missed.

"I am Isabel Beaumont. If you are ready, I will take you to the King." She turned as if she knew they would be ready.

"The king?" Sookie mouthed the words up to Eric, not wanting super-vampire senses to hear her surprise, but he only took her hand, giving it a small squeeze. He started off after Isabel with Sookie only a step behind him, still in mild shock. He could have warned her.

The car was nice, but the waitress hardly noticed. She put on her seat belt while their vampire driver waited, then they were off. Isabel had obviously been instructed to play tour guide as they drove the city, but Sookie was not paying attention, too nervous to be polite. The houses giving way to mansions did not help. She would not have minded a slower car ride, but it seemed all vampires considered speed limits to be merely suggestions for their more breakable counterparts.

Sookie had not realized Eric was still holding her uninjured hand until he gave it another squeeze. Of course, he knew she was nervous. She had his blood. Still, she appreciated the gesture. They were supposed to be together after all. Eric, at least, seemed to take that seriously as he opened her door for her and put his arm around her as they walked.

The sheer number of vampires inside made Sookie pause before she ever reached the door. Eric kept her moving, but it required a little force. The telepath's experience with Eric and those few vampires he kept around him did not seem to be proper preparation for the virtual lion's den before her.

Two things kept her chin up. One was the brushes of human minds that she felt from inside and the other was the fact that she had already kept herself from being kidnapped once today. She might not be as in control as she wanted, but since she had effectively defended herself, she knew she could do it again. That thought gave her the confidence she needed to walk into the rather normal looking house (well, normal for a mansion). It looked just like every other residence in the area. It was no more "vampiric" than their hotel.

The kitchen confirmed Sookie's suspicions that this was human built, but she was comforted by the sight of another human washing dishes in the kitchen. He must have been around vampires for some time as he nodded to her, glasses moving down his nose.

Eric had tensed up ever so slightly, but still managed to look nonchalant about being in someone else's territory. Sookie felt his muscle contract around her when they moved into the dining room, but his arm did not even look as if it had moved.

"Leif."

"Stan."

The leader would have been an unassuming figure had he not been a vampire. In fact, he was going with a geek-chic look including some fake glasses. Of course, his name used to be Stanislaus Davidowitz, but Sookie was not supposed to know that. She put that small fact that she had pulled from his otherwise silent head into a corner along with the fear that someone else would notice.

The fact that Stan was currently scrutinizing her like some of bacteria under a microscope did not help assuage her concerns. Finally, his lips turned up into what was almost a smile.

"Useful and not bad to look at either." Eric nodded his head, his smirk was missing its usual haughtiness. Stan had meant this as a compliment to Eric, and Sookie realized just how firm this possession thing was in the vampire psyche.

No more time was wasted on pleasantries of other orders of business. Stan simply inclined his head and one of the other vampires brought in a human girl from another room.

This girl struggled against the vampire holding her as if Sookie could save her. In fact, she was screaming for Sookie to do just that. The girl was either stupid or currently without her faculties if she thought that Sookie could do anything for her in a room full of vampires.

Sookie reminded herself that if she stayed calm, she could much more easily help the vampires and in turn help the girl than if she got bent out of shape over this. Finger to her lip, she tried to quiet the girl down. She actually listened perhaps because Sookie's was the only friendly face in the room. At some point, Eric had taken a step away from Sookie to allow her room to work. He had seen her use her power enough time to have faith in her, even when his maker was on the line.

"Stan, is there somewhere more private that Miss Stackhouse can question the girl? Her power works better that way." Sookie could have kissed Eric for knowing that, and for not making her ask for it.

Stan was still studying Sookie, but his wave his arm and suddenly every vampire save himself and Eric had left the room. For his part, Eric retreated to the wall, content to let Sookie take over.

"Bethany, would you please sit down?" It was easy to figure out the girl's name, she had no walls built up in her mind.

"How did you know my name?"

She was a little a frightened but eager to be doing anything that might help her. Bethany plopped down in the seat that Sookie pulled out to face another, and the telepath sat down to face her. Sookie had made sure that Bethany's chair faced away from Stan. If they weren't glamouring someone, vampires were not the most relaxing of figures.

"I can tell lots of things about you," Sookie didn't want to scare the girl, but it would be easier if she could evoke a certain amount of awe."You had a dog named Woof when you were little, and your mother makes the best coconut cake in the world. Your dad lost too much money at a card game one time, and you had to hock your VCR to help him pay up, so your mom wouldn't find out."

Bethany stared at her in shock, her mouth hanging open. Sookie took that moment to get information out of a less giving source.

"Mr. Davis, could you tell me what Godric looks like? And what connection Bethany has to him? I need to know what to ask and look for."

Bethany shut her mouth quick, reminded of the company they were keeping. Sookie did not actually look at the King of Texas, focusing on Bethany and the thoughts that were flitting through her head, but his momentary silence told her he was not happy. In fact, air seemed decidedly colder, but she could not ask Eric as he probably wasn't supposed to know what the other vampire looked like. Not to mention it hardly seemed reasonable to play telephone through Eric every time she needed to know something. No, he would just have to get over being addressed by the puny human.

"He will look young to your eyes with short brown hair. He is not very tall, but he holds himself in such a way that commands attention." That was quite a description to receive, especially from a king. "Five nights ago, we had asked our brother Godric to go after another brother, Farrel, who was causing unrest at a club. As your Sheriff may have told you, Godric is very old and very strong. It should have been easy for him, only he never returned."

The mention of Eric in his role as Sheriff startled Sookie, though she kept her composure. There was no way she was going to look at Eric/Leif just then. He might claim no one around here knew him, but she did not want to raise any suspicions.

"Bethany, I need you to remember five nights ago. I am going to help you."

"Are you like those psychics I see one TV?"

"No, I am a telepath; I can only see what you are thinking about. But I really need you to focus right now, okay? If you help me do this, the vampires have promised to not let anything happen to you. You can go home and see your dog." It made no difference how much the girl knew. There was no way she was leaving this house with her memories intact.

She nodded, wanting that very much.

"Alright, I need to calm you down first, will you take my hands?" The girl obediently placed her hands in Sookie's. It had been awkward moving the sprained wrist, but it was feeling better. She refused to wince when she had made such a big deal about it with Eric. Sookie thought she heard him shift behind her, but she was focused on Bethany.

"Is this going to hurt?"

"Not one bit, I am pretty good at it." That sounded odd, but Sookie had to admit that she really was. Meeting Barry had confirmed how good she was. All her practice time had her wondering if she really was defective. After all, she was only slightly different, like Sam or Alcide. Now, she knew there were others out there, even if not many.

"You sure they are going to let me go?" She whispered it as if they wouldn't be able to hear.

"Cross my heart."

"Okay."

Sookie never did this part with vendors, and only a few of the higher security personnel that Eric hired went through her treatment as well. Usually, carefully placed questions or general discussion brought what she needed, but Sookie needed very specific details.

Through her experimentation, Sookie had found a good way in to people's minds. "Bethany, is there something you find really relaxing? Something you like to do it?" It came to her easily enough.

"Imagine you are getting your hair done in your favorite salon. Jerry's behind you, so you know you are in good hands." Sookie continued through the details of what she saw Jerry normally doing to Bethany's hair, even though she had never actually been to a beauty parlor herself.

Once she could feel the last bit of resistance gone, Sookie switched to the actual task, though her tone stayed exactly the same.

"While Jerry keeps working on your hair, we are going to go through that night. Anything you hear is just coming from another booth; in fact, you won't even know that I am there unless I say your name. It is just a relaxing stroll through your memories while your hair is getting cut."

Sookie was both glad and sorry that Bethany seemed to have amazing visual recall. It made her job very easy, but it also meant she had to wade through a whole lot before she got to the important parts. Sookie informed Stan of the few parts of Bethany's relationship with her roommate that might be important, but mostly she kept it to herself. She had learned pretty quickly what was relevant.

So far, Bethany had served synthetic blood to three vampires, two females and a man who looked like a cowboy wannabe. He definitely did not fit the description of Godric.

"The other vampire, Farrel, does he dress like a cowboy?"

Stan looked surprised, but nodded slow enough for her to see. Maybe he was afraid to break the silence, but Sookie knew who she needed to focus on now. Sure enough, he started to cause a little trouble, glamouring a husband into leaving his wife to join him in the men's room. Not one to judge, Sookie was still taken aback by the audacity of the move. That was not exactly a good mainstreaming move. Fangtasia had a strict "no biting on the premises" policy. Well, except where Eric was concerned, but that was only on rare occasions and in the privacy of his office.

Then he entered the bar. She almost missed him as Bethany did not serve him. She only saw him in passing as he moved at what he must have thought was a more human speed after Farrell.

"Does Godric have a tattoo across his chest? Kind of tribal looking?" Another nod from Stan, and Sookie followed Godric through Bethany's memory into the bathroom.

Very soon after, Farrell and the man with whom he had entered the bathroom exited. Farrell left the bar in a huff. Godric did not exit with them.

"When did the other vampire exit?"

"I didn't see him again."

"Nothing? Did anyone else enter the restroom?" Bethany was concentrating now, going back through the night as she tried to remember everyone who came and went. Luckily, it had not been a very busy evening. Everyone who went in also came out. Except Godric. As she went through faces, Sookie recognized one, barely keeping her composure. She made a note of his companions as she imagined the black eye he would have now.

The fact that she could not remember it was bothering her, and Sookie could feel her slipping. Sookie also realized that she was covering something up. Before she lost the other girl completely, the telepath asked the all important question: "Who was that?"

"No one I know." Bethany was a bad liar, and she had answered without ever being the wiser.

"Oh, then that is all we need, someone can escort her home now." Sookie looked meaningfully at Stan, hoping he would get the message.

"Really?" Bethany still sounded surprised even after all of Sookie's reassurances.

Without so much as a movement from Stan, a vampire who had been turned around Bethany's age entered and escorted her out, already in the process of glamouring her.

"So?" Stan was about as patient as every other vampire she had met.

"She seems to think the bouncer will know more about what happened. He went in after Godric and Farrell."

They discussed the man named Re-bar, who also happened to be a fangbanger. Stan did not seem to be one of his biggest fans. Another vampire was summoned without a word. Sookie figured this communication must have been a talent of Stan's because Eric had never displayed it. He was told to bring Re-bar in for questioning. Eric joined her as they waited.

Stan remembered something, or simply decided to bring it up if she was not going to offer the information. "You saw something else, didn't you? I saw you jump a little." Damn vampires and their sensitivities.

"I recognized a man in the bar, he tried to kidnap me earlier today."

"Why did you not report this sooner?"

"We were not sure it was connected. They were human after all." Eric stepped in, taking Stan's impressive glare from Sookie.

"But this man, he could not have taken Godric. Not without us knowing about it."

"I would assume, with as old as he is, if he did not want to go, they could not have made him."

Eric squeezed Sookie's bad hand, and this time she did wince. A look of guilt passed over his face but was quickly replaced. That was too much weakness in a strange place. Sookie knew he had not meant to, but her words had implied something she had not intended.

Stan was pondering their meaning still when the door opened to admit a more realistic version of the man Sookie had seen in Bethany's memories. She definitely had a higher opinion of Re-bar's physique than he deserved.

His vampire escort brought the bouncer over to Sookie. Eric vacated the seat and returned to his position on the wall behind her. He may have been removed, but Sookie knew that if anything happened, he would be able to react before she even realized something was wrong.

Re-bar was sat in the seat. Although he was perspiring heavily, he was at least not in hysterics like Bethany had been. He knew he could very well be in trouble, but there was not much he could do about it at this point.

"Re-bar, I need your help. Do you remember five nights ago when you followed Farrell and Godric into the bathroom?"

His memory was not as clear as Bethany's, but he did recall the night. Sookie did not want to have to go through the whole routine if possible, and he was calm enough that it would probably work without the relaxing. Bethany had felt like rubber to her, easily to move, but there was already an arc to her thoughts that Sookie had to follow. Re-bar was more like putty. It was as if Sookie was controlling how and when his thoughts went, even if they were still his own. It was a novel feeling, and she had no way of knowing if she was getting better, or he was just that simple minded. Either way, it worked for her.

Sookie turned bright red when she saw why Re-bar the other men into bathroom. When he realized the two vampires were having a heated argument, Re-bar had gone into a stall as if that was his point all along.

Then nothing, a hole. Sookie had seen this before when humans had been glamoured. Only this must have been done quickly because someone erased a moment of time without ever filling it back in. This was getting them no where.

Instead, Sookie went to earlier in the evening. She was fairly convinced that the man who had tried to kidnap her was involved in all this somehow. It was too much of a coincidence that he would also be at the bar on the night Godric went missing.

Re-bar remembered letting the group in. The two men had obviously been old enough, but he had carded the girl just in case. She had been old enough, and if Sookie had not been watching with him, then he would have just moved on. However, the girl had held up her whole wallet to show her ID behind the little plastic shield. Sookie understood how hard it could be to pull out. Re-bar had not minded, and focused as he was on the birth date, he had missed something else very important in the wallet. Sookie felt like she had hit a pause button on his memories as she stared at a card sticking up from one of the pouches.

The vampires were about to be very unhappy.

"I think that he has been taken by the Fellowship of the Sun."

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><p>As readers, you are all <strong>absolutely amazing<strong>! You all keep me writing!


	19. Chapter 19

I really am sorry about the wait guys. I personally blame Suzanne Collins. I spent the weekend reading the Hunger Games Trilogy, when I should have been writing for you fine folks.

I _really_ hope that this chapter will make up for it. I think you all will either love me, or abandon me for my horrible writing! Please let me know what you think!

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><p>Stan had left his seat and was pacing. Re-bar had been escorted out once more, no doubt to be glamoured. That man would only make it through so much more tampering before he was no longer mentally fit to be a bouncer.<p>

The idea that the Fellowship of the Sun would have something to do with a missing vampire did not seem to surprise either of the vampires in the room. In fact, both had taken it much better than Sookie would have imagined. It was as if now that they had a piece of the puzzle they could take action. A vampire's favorite part of the night.

Neither seemed to be bothered by the thoughts that were weighing on Sookie. It was taken as a matter of course that he was somehow coerced or forced, but it seemed highly unlikely considering Godric's age. Not to mention he had glamoured Re-bar to forget what had happened to him. How had they forced him to do that?

Then again, she doubted that the vampires would want to hear that and Eric, at least, would want to find Godric no matter what, so bringing up her concerns would not help anything. However, one issue needed to be discussed.

"How did they know I was going to be here?" There is nothing quite so unnerving as having two vampires staring at you as Stan and Eric were at that point. Again, Sookie was amazed at how differently their minds seemed to work. It was hard to believe that something so obvious had gotten past them both.

The energy in the room felt like some pissed off electricity as Stan finally came to a hard conclusion. "We must have a traitor among us..."

Sookie could understand his anger, but she thought that perhaps there was another answer that did not impugn vampire honor. She grabbed a notepad that was lying on the impromptu desk and scribbled a note to the vampire on it. "MAYBE YOU'VE BEEN BUGGED." She liked mysteries and crime shows. It was not that big of a stretch when in a vampire den.

She found the look of the two males to be somewhat insulting to her kind. Sure, they were vampires who had lived hundreds of years, but humans had created some pretty nifty stuff in that time. Neither were telling her how stupid the idea was nor were they talking anymore. Still, neither had made a move to do anything about it either.

Tired of playing professional for someone who considered her a lesser being, Sookie slipped off her heels and went under the table. Of course, now she was wishing she had worn pants, no matter how adorable the dress looked on her.

Searching the grain, the dark little knob stuck out on the blond wood, but someone would have had to be under to see it. Who knew how long it had been there unnoticed?

Sookie crawled to the nearest exit, which just happened to be right where Stan was standing. When she looked up, still on her hands and knees, the King of Texas was offering her a hand up. Not wanting to be rude, she took it, with his pull, she found herself much more closer to him than she ever planned to be. She heard the floor behind her creak as Eric took a step forward.

Quickly, she put her fingers to her lips and pointed to let him know there was indeed a bug in the room. Stan was not very tall, leaving Sookie about eye level with him. She very much wanted to be somewhere else. He was understandably angry, but the telepath did not want to be the thing those rage filled eyes were focused on, which was exactly what was happening.

She struggled to get her words out, throat bone dry and unable to swallow. "Could I get a glass of water please?"

For one very frightening moment, Stan's eyes widened at the audacity of her request. Sookie's eyes flitted towards the bug, every other muscle frozen in his terrifying gaze. There was a very tense moment where Sookie had to pray that Eric would be fast enough to save her if Stan decided not to play along. His eyes were boring into her as if he still did not understand her plan, or as if he thought if he glared hard enough she would share the secret to life... or undeath, in his case.

Finally, Isabel entered the room with the man Sookie had seen in the kitchen earlier. She was holding a cup of water, and the waitress found she could move once more.

"Thank you so much." Sookie took the glass, actually taking a sip to try and make her throat work properly. "I guess my job is done here."

Stan's eyes were wide again; luckily, Eric had picked up on her plan.

"If Godric is with the Fellowship, there is no way we can go after him without making too much of a fuss. He may be dead anyway." Eric had been very clear that if Godric was, he would know. Something about the maker bond. "Sookie and I will be heading back to Louisiana tomorrow."

Finally, Stan was with them as well. "Make sure to have your boss send me the bill. He was quite adamant about the payment. I will have to meet him some day."

Sookie kept her face perfectly serene at Stan telling Eric they would meet someday with a very sour expression on his face. It was enough to have her in stitches, and she couldn't even smile knowingly. It was a wasted moment.

Sookie pointed to the bug hoping Eric would get the next part. She set the glass down on the table hard as if it had just fallen over. "I'm so sorry, can someone get a towel?"

Before she could finish the sentence, Eric was next to her, hand grabbed the device and plopped in the glass as soon as she finished her last word. It seemed unlikely someone would have had the time or forethought to plant more than one in a house full of vampires, so even the vampires who didn't actually need to, breathed a sigh of relief.

Isabel took the glass back from Sookie and left the room to dispose of it. However, her human compatriot stayed behind.

"If Godric has been taken by the Fellowship, then maybe she and I could go there tomorrow and look for him?" Sookie thought a little more of Stan that this human was not only in his house, but was confident enough to put forth a plan without being asked.

Eric and Stan looked at each other, silently conferring.

"A couple would be less suspicious."

"Sookie?" She wondered if anyone else could see what she saw in his eyes. He was really asking her if she was alright with the plan, but he also desperately wanted her to be alright with it. Of course, he could not exactly stroll onto the campus and the downside of mainstreaming was not being able to literally tear through buildings on a hunch.

"Of course. If nothing else, we can get a good idea of the layout. I bet they do tours." Not to mention, she was the perfect person to hear secrets thoughts like 'I hope the vampire that we have trapped in the janitor's closet doesn't get out.'

"If they do have Godric, we need to find him and find out how they trapped him. If they can take someone as old as him, none of us are really safe."

Maybe that was the real reason Stan had called in reinforcements. He definitely didn't seem as beaten up about all this as Eric was. Then again, Eric was covering it up relatively well right now, so maybe this was all a show for Stan as well, not showing weakness or whatever. There were always too many maybes around vampires.

"Sookie, you will need a disguise of some sort. After all, you may have punched that driver, but he can still talk."

"Right..." She had not thought about that. "I do think it will be good for me to go with another human, no offense."

"This is Isabel's man." He must have done his handy mind summoning thing because in she strolled. Could he do that with humans in his retinue? Sookie realized she never really wanted to find out.

"Isabel, your human has offered to accompany Sookie to the Fellowship's headquarters. Do you think he can convincingly play the role?"

Sookie was disturbed by the way the man was staring at Isabel. Somewhere along the way, roles had reversed, and he was the one hungering for her. He was practically salivating. Sure, she had never been in a long term relationship, but she hoped she never looked at a man that way.

Isabel was looking at him as well now, studying his face. "I believe he can."

"Sookie, Isabel will take you back to your hotel. I would like to speak with Leif."

"No, sir." The air around her froze as Stan looked at her again.

"No?" Were all vampires unfamiliar with the word?

"According to my contract, Leif is to be with me anywhere I go at night. I need to go back and get things ready for tomorrow and go to sleep eventually." She knew she was pushing it a little, but she was tired. There was no way she was going to be able to wait for them to finish up whatever vampire business they had. Not when she had to put together a disguise before tomorrow.

"Fine, go."

Sookie nodded, wanting to get out as soon as possible. As if her Gran was there with her, she suddenly realized how incredibly rude she was being.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?" None of the vampires had actually said it, but it seemed unnecessary to point that out.

"Hugo Ayres."

"Nice to meet you, Hugo. I'm Sookie." She stuck her hand out, glad to finally have someone to do a traditional greeting with.

His handshake was much looser than she would have imagined, but human contact that didn't require her to delve into a person's mind was nice. She purposely stayed out to keep an even footing with him.

"Miss Stackhouse, weren't you trying to leave just a moment ago?" Stan was not impressed with the human display, and she could only ride the 'I found a bug in your office' high for so long before his annoyance with her overshadowed it.

"Right, good bye." She waved to Hugo before following Isabel out to her car, a little surprised Hugo didn't accompany them. When they reached the hotel, Isabel told Sookie that Hugo would come for her at three the next day. This meant she would have time to get her disguise together and maybe even talk to Barry as she had hoped.

When they got back up to the room, Sookie had every intention of taking a good long bath and then going to sleep.

"You did very well tonight."

She heard the tone in his voice that said there would be more but decided to ignore it. If he wanted to say something else to her, he would in his own time. Otherwise, she would be content to leave it alone. "Thank you. I am just glad we are getting somewhere."

Sookie slung her heels into the corner, having carried them with her instead of putting them back on. If Eric had disapproved, he had not made any indications. Her toiletries bag was already in the bathroom. If she just grabbed her robe, she could be enjoying a luxurious bath in no time. She slipped into the bathroom first, it was a Jack and Jill style bathroom with doors into both rooms. After she started the bathwater running, she went straight through to her own section of the suite and grabbed her robe.

Eric was standing in her open doorway watching the commotion wordlessly. He looked relaxed, but Sookie could tell he was still thinking. Then again, Eric was always thinking, always looking at the angles.

"I am going to take a bath. The tub here is amazing."

"It is easily big enough for two."

"Which means all the more room for me." She happily ignored his insinuation, closing the door between her room and the bathroom.

Of course, Eric just moved to the door that opened into the sitting area. "Eric, don't you ever get tired of this game?"

"Not particularly, the chase is half the fun, you know, and it has been a long time since any woman has put up this much of a chase."

"And the rest of the fun is in what? The conquest?"

"Sookie Stackhouse, I will have you one day, but I guarantee that no one will ever conquer you."

"I am shutting the door, Eric."

"My name is Leif... and you are mine." His eyes were playful as she grabbed the handle of the door, holding it between them.

"Yes, but Leif will be gone in a few days. Then, I am on my own once again."

She shut the door, leaning against it for a moment. Her words had been meant to show her independence, but they only made her feel lonely. It had been nice to fall asleep with Eric at her house the other night. She had spent so many nights alone, Sookie had not realized how it affected her.

Checking the doors to make sure they were locked, she slipped out of her nice dress which was covered in dust from her time under the table. It was going to have to be dry cleaned. She dropped it along with her underwear before finally unwrapping her wrist and slipping into the almost full bathtub. The hot water felt wonderful on her arm.

Eric was right, as tall as he was, he could easily fit in there with her. What would his body feel like in the warm water? Sookie knew how cold he felt, but would he warm up with the water or stay as cool? Either way, it would be an odd sensation. She dunked her head underneath the water rather than dwell on that thought. It was far more interesting than it should be.

By the time the bath was drained, Sookie did not feel nearly as relaxed as she had hoped. In fact, she actually felt even more uptight. Fighting the constant thoughts of Eric in her bathtub had not helped. He was a very attractive man... and she was pretty lonely.

Sookie had to admit that she was attracted to Eric, even if it was only to herself. Really, who wouldn't be? But she also knew that she would never act on that attraction. She was simply not built to pick up with men based solely on mutual attraction. She needed more.

Once she was toweled off, she quietly slipped into her room. She knew that Eric had wanted to talk to her about something, but she really didn't feel like listening to them at the moment. More than that, she did not feel like sitting in a room with him. Sookie had a pretty good idea of what she needed to do the next day; it seemed unlikely he would have any new revelations. More than likely, he simply wanted to go over it all again, while she would much rather just go to sleep.

Alcide had said he was concerned about her sleeping the other night, so maybe if she could slip into bed and be asleep before he realized, she could get away with it. That is exactly what she did, slipping on some pajamas and getting into bed with barely a squeak. The bed was absolutely amazing, like floating on clouds.

Her pillow was warming just a little too fast, so she rolled over to the cold side. "Holy shit, Eric!" She was no longer alone in the overly large bed. Well, the vampire was on top of the covers, but she had not even felt the bed move. "You know, one of us needs to keep their heart beating and that is a sure way to stop it."

"I got the distinct feeling you were avoiding me." Eric's arms were folded across his chest as he leaned back against the headboard, looking down at Sookie. Even his ankles were crossed, though thankfully, he was still fully clothed in the suit that only Leif would wear but either of them could pull it off spectacularly. Only his shoes and the sports coat were missing. He had unbuttoned a few of the top buttons on the shirt to reveal just a bit of that chest, which Thor himself would be jealous of.

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Sookie rolled back over, not wanting to stare at the handsome vampire on her bed.

"We need to talk."

"You may need to talk; I need to sleep." Her voice was quiet, as if she was already drifting off, but the truth was, she was much too aware of Eric to sleep right now.

"Sookie, I need you to drink my blood." That rolled her over again; in fact, she was sitting up now, staring at him.

She had consumed vampire blood twice now. Once while unconscious and the other time it was when a vampire had practically exploded in her mouth. Neither were experiences that she hoped to re-live. And the thought of actually taking Eric's blood was disgusting.

"Get out of my room." To reiterate her point, she fluffed up her pillow and laid back down, facing away from him once again.

"I know you do not want to, but you hit that guy pretty hard and he got away. If you walk in tomorrow with your hand the way it is, it might be the tip off they need as to who you are."

"I already have vampire blood in me, shouldn't that heal it?"

"I doubt he was all that old if I could sneak up on him, so it will heal it faster. Just not by tomorrow."

"Then I will just not wear the bandage."

"And what about the scrapes on your knuckle, or what happens if you bump it against something?"

"Eric, I can't. It is too much. I already have your blood in me, isn't that enough?"

"No, it is not." Eric was so quiet Sookie almost wondered if he had left the room, but she did not dare roll over and look at him to check. "Sookie, I am trying to protect you. I will not be able to just barge in tomorrow if something goes wrong. No doubt Stan planned to tell me that I cannot make a scene with the Fellowship people. Let me help you how I can."

The anger in Eric's voice did not surprise Sookie. He was probably not used to being helpless very often and right now his hands were virtually tied. However, she was taken aback by the way his anger almost sounded like a plea. She would not put it past him to simply wait till she was asleep or slip it in a drink (if that was possible) but he wanted her to accept this from him.

Still, she could not believe it when the next word came out of her mouth. "Alright..." She had meant to say something brilliant that would make him feel better and get her out of consuming his blood. She definitely had not meant to give him. In fact, even though she had agreed, she still had not moved.

Eric noticed. His cold hand reached over to pull her on her back. She was pointedly staring at the ceiling while he leaned over her. Sookie couldn't help the involuntary gulp she took when his face loomed over her own. Suddenly, this felt like something very different.

"Just relax, you will not need very much." His voice was unusually quiet and his breath was as sweet as ever. Sookie knew she could not be glamoured, but something about Eric was mesmerizing. She found herself nodding as if his words had actually calmed her. Of course, her racing heartbeat did not exactly agree.

Eric moved a strand of wet hair away from her face. "How would you like to do this?"

"I don't know, you are the expert on bloodsucking." It would have sounded much more harsh if she could have said it in something above a whisper.

He did not look hurt; instead, he looked smug again, his finger lacing the strand of her hair around itself. With his arm over her Sookie felt surrounded by him, his cold form against her side.

"I suppose I am." He said after staring into her eyes for a moment. The man obviously lived, or existed, to make her uncomfortable.

The squeak of fear when his fangs snapped down right in front of her face was reflexive. Her last encounter with fangs had not been a pleasant one. "Don't be frightened." His eyes were calm as he took his wrist and ran it along one of his fangs, cutting a deep line into his forearm.

Sookie's eyes had widened, but Eric did not even act as if he had felt it. The blood was pooling along the line as he held out his arm to her. She did not make a move, still unsure of what to do.

"Drink, before it heals up."

She tried to put her lips to his arm but found it was an odd angle. Instead, she rolled onto her side again, her back to him. At first, as the thick liquid hit her tongue, she couldn't help but gag at the unnaturalness of it. With her next pull, she realized that the blood was not metallic at all, but almost salty, refreshing somehow. At some point, Eric had gotten under the covers, perhaps to make this simpler. She had grabbed his wrist without realizing and Eric pulled her against him as she licked the drop that had been making its way down his arm.

The moan this elicited from Eric was incredibly satisfying. The rational part of her brain was probably telling her she needed to stop this, but Sookie had already shut that part out in order to be able to take Eric's blood. When she drew her tongue along Eric's cut once again the sound he made reminded her of when their situations were reversed. The feeling of his cold tongue sweeping across the flesh of her neck. It had been...

"Sookie, you had better quit that if you want to go to sleep." Eric's words in her ear cut off all thought for a moment as all she could focus on was what the wave of pleasure that his breath against her ear was sending through her. It was ungodly.

As if to reiterate his words he pulled her even closer and she could feel what her actions had done to him clearly pressing into her back. It was all a little too much. This attractive viking who obviously desired her and wanted to protect her for some reason she still did not fully comprehend was cradling her in his arms under these ridiculously silky sheets. It was sensory overload and Sookie loved each sensation.

It suddenly hit her. Eric's blood was in her; he knew what she was feeling. He was completely aware of her current state, but he was still giving her a way out. That thought broke down the last bit of resistance she possessed.

A quiet giggle escaped her as she looked at the arm she was still holding, not completely sure what to do and very embarrassed by what she knew her body at least wanted to do. She could not very well tell Eric and she did not trust herself to face him right now. So, she did exactly what he had told her not to. Sookie's tongue glided right across the wound that was practically closed already. Something about the deliberateness of her action made her toes curl. Eric's hand was now flattened over her stomach, up under her night shirt. He was still holding her to him, as if he might somehow get them even closer than they already were.

"Sookie..." Her name came out as a warning.

"Eric..." It felt a little ridiculous, but her own voice was breathless and whatever else she had intended to say was lost, just as she was. This was completely new territory for her.

Suddenly, she was on her back again, staring up into those blue eyes that would not let her look away. His fangs were showing, but Sookie felt no fear of them. Eric was searching for something, but she wasn't sure what. His hand was on her cheek, gently rubbing it. But she began to feel herself waver as he made no move. It was very uncharacteristic. Perhaps, now that she was making herself so readily available, he was no longer interested. The chase might not be half the fun for him, but all of it.

His lips meeting hers silenced all her doubts. Eric leaned away and Sookie heard the buttons of her pajama shirt popping off as Eric ripped it open. Sookie had never felt quite so exposed, but the look in Eric's eye, the voracious appreciation somehow made it alright. Her own fingers worked on the remaining buttons of his shirt, un-tucking it from his pants to get to them all. He had accomplished his goal much faster, but Eric was smiling as he watched her work. Once the shirt was fully open, Sookie finally got to run her hand along the planes of his stomach as she had wanted to do several times before. He was perfect and she was beginning to feel self-conscious again.

"Eric," She was looking at his chest, as she ran a finger along the lines of his abs. "I am not very... experienced."

His mouth was at her ear again as he spoke. "I have more than enough experience for the both of us." Another shiver ran through her body, but she did not get a chance to recover as first his fingers then his mouth found her breast. Then, she was literally squirming with pleasure. She quickly noticed that Eric seemed to enjoy it as well if her squirming centered against his lower half.

It only took a minute of her wiggling and his talented tongue for them both to be ready for something more. They sat up almost in unison. Eric was going to owe her some new pajamas as he proceeded to rip off her bottoms, throwing the cloth to the ground. Sookie had more trouble with Eric's pants but he seemed to find her sounds of frustration amusing. Finally, he took pity on her, sliding off the bed and taking off his own pants as well as a silky pair of boxers.

Sookie actually gasped when she saw all of him. She did not have much experience with these things, but she was fairly certain he was abnormally large. She was not certain, however, that it was going to fit.

Eric actually laughed at her wide eyes. Her dubious expression was probably amusing, but she did not feel like being funny right then. Sookie took a deep breath, then looked Eric right in the eye. As he had said, he was very experienced. Surely, he would know if this would work or not and he definitely still seemed up for it.

Sookie pulled the covers back, exposing her body which was now only covered by a pair of panties. Eric had never looked hungrier as he took her in once again. Then he was next to her, hand slipping into the panties. She realized they would not survive the night. Already, they were beyond usable, but sure enough, Eric ripped those off as well.

It was absolutely intoxicating not to know what he was thinking while his hand slide down from her neck, tracing a line down to her thigh. A groan escaped her lips as his long finger slid up between her legs. The slow motion of his finger back and forth had her squirming once again. Her fingers were tangled in his hair or tracing designs on his back. Muscles contracting and releasing with each he extricated his hand it was practically dripping and Sookie was already panting lightly. She had never realized what such a light touch could do to her, but she knew she did not want it to stop.

She glared at him playfully for ending what she knew was too soon by the way she was practically aching. Sookie was looking right in his eyes as he licked his fingers, and her eyes widened at the sound of unmistakable satisfaction that came from the vampire. It should not have been as unbelievably attractive as it was.

"Eric." It was her turn to sound pleading, but now that they had started she did not want to be just laying there anymore.

Eric looked as if he had never heard a more sensual noise. Luckily, he understood what she wanted. Before she could say another word, he was on top, her legs around him. He held her eyes as he moved his way into her slowly.

Sookie's gasp was a mix of pleasure and pain. Eric was not even all the way in when he suddenly stopped, his hands still gripping her hips.

"Sookie, I did not know." Eric sounded worried.

"It doesn't come up very often. Please don't stop." She looked up at him imploringly. Part of her wondered if this ruined everything. She had warned him about her inexperience.

"There is no way that I am stopping, but I warn you, this will probably hurt." It was the most gentle that Sookie had ever heard Eric. All she could do was nod her head.

He was right. It hurt pretty bad, and there was just so much of him that even after the initial pain, he took some getting used to. Eric paused once they were fully together, leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips. It gave her a moment to adjust to this new feeling.

Eric sat back up and began to pull out again. Sookie panicked for only a moment before he began moving in earnest. It hurt for a moment, but the pain was quickly replaced by something so much better. Once he had gotten to a steady rhythm, she began to catch on and move against him. He was making sounds of approval, never breaking eye contact. Sookie's breathing was becoming ragged as she felt herself beginning to float. It was the strangest sense of build up. As if she might explode, but knowing that if she didn't she very well may go crazy instead. Her own hands were now digging into his hips, looking for some way to release all the wonderful tension inside her.

Eric's pace increased once again and Sookie was flying. Or at least, it felt like that. Everything that tied her down was suddenly gone and she just laid there letting the pleasure course through her body. Eric yelling something in his strange tongue brought her back to reality. He was leaning over her now, his weight resting on his arms which were on either side of her, leaving some room between their chests.

They both stayed that way for a moment, small spasms of pleasure still rocking them. Once Sookie recovered she began to run her hands over his chest. Insecurity was creeping up on her again. She was very aware of the fact that it was odd for a woman her age to never have had sex. Most of Bon Temps definitely assumed she had, not knowing how difficult it was for her to even be close to another man, much less be intimate with him.

"I have imagined this so many times. Everything I had thought of has paled in comparison."

Sookie's head snapped up as she searched his face now. Was he lying or simply trying to make her feel better? Sometimes the fact that he knew what she was thinking was kind of nice because she only saw sincerity.

"Really? It was alright for you? I mean, I know that you have..." She was going to say something about the number of women he had been with, but she found she did not want to think about them. "I know I don't really know anything."

Eric's hand was under her chin, his eyes boring into hers. "I do not believe I have ever enjoyed myself quite so much."

Sookie was speechless. For a someone who had been roaming the earth for over a thousand years, that was certainly saying something. She had just been hoping for not being a disappointment.

"As much as I would love to simply lie here like this... or begin again, one of us has to try and save my maker tomorrow." It was the strangest sensation when he left her, rolling over onto his side next to her.

She tilted her head towards him. Sookie had been tired before they even left Stan's mansion. Now, she was completely spent. Staying awake any longer seemed completely unreasonable. She put her face against his chest, not caring if he was a cuddler or not. He made no protest as she closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her.

Just as her mind was shutting down, she felt Eric whispering into her neck. "Now, you are truly mine."

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><p>I have to admit, this was the first time that I have ever written anything of this sort. Hopefully, it doesn't show too much, and I have pacified all those getting tired over the slow burn!<p> 


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry again for the delay everyone! You know how life can be, last time it got in my way, this time in got in the way of my **wonderful**beta, pretendi'mnothere! However, the chapter is much more pretty because of her, so totally worth it!

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><p>It was still dark when Sookie woke up. This would have come as a shock to her if other things hadn't won out over what time it might be.<p>

Oh shit...

The cold, heavy arm that was encompassing her body brought it all home. Sookie Stackhouse had just slept with Eric Northman.

Removing Eric's arm was difficult as it was dead weight, but once she was no longer trapped she scrambled off the bed. At that point, Sookie realized she was still stark naked. She quickly grabbed the robe she had dropped by her bed the night before. It was odd to feel so self-conscious with someone who was completely dead to the world.

Eric lay as peaceful as can be on his stomach, also completely nude. Dear Lord in Heaven on High did that man have an ass. It was the first clear shot Sookie had gotten of it not covered in pants and it was quickly driving her to distraction. She resisted the urge to feel if it was as firm as it looked and covered him with the sheet instead.

Then, she ran from the room. She was pacing around the living area when she finally noticed. All the windows were on lockdown. It would seem the entire room was light tight. A clock on the cable box told her it was 10:00 AM. The distraction only lasted for a moment, her thoughts had much bigger fish to fry.

Like the fact that she was no longer a virgin. She had given that up to Eric Northman. And it was had been wonderful, spectacular, maybe even perfect. He had made her feel desired but not dirty, protected but not smothered, and a few new sensations that had her toes curling just in memory. Of course, he was her first, but she could not really imagine it going any better. Especially combined with the fact that she did not have to hear him once think about what she could be doing better. Ignorance really was bliss.

She plopped down on the couch with a sigh of contentment. Last night had been magical.

But it was day time now and Sookie could no longer escape his final comment by sleeping. There was no doubt that she had slept with Eric last night and not Leif. When he had claimed her as his own it had been Eric, Sheriff of Area Five, her boss.

Sookie was glad that she had been tired enough to fall asleep because now she was hyperventilating over the thought. Even in her panicked state she knew it would have been unfair to subject Eric to this after he did nothing wrong. No, she was the one to blame for not thinking through her actions.

Sookie's head was now between her knees. Hadn't her whole reluctance about even letting Eric claim her as his for the trip here been about maintaining her independence? Now she had just opened a door that she did not think she could close for a night of pleasure. Albeit, an amazing night.

There were too many unknowns. What had last night meant to Eric? How would it change their relationship? Would she be able to handle it if that never happened again? Part of her had to admit that she did not want that to have been a one night stand and not just because of the shame she would feel.

Finally, the sensible part of her finally woke up even without the coffee. She had a lot to get done today and wallowing on the couch was not going to bring any epiphanies. A talk with Eric was definitely not possible at the moment, so she needed to move on to things that could be taken care of.

She definitely needed to take a shower, but she could wait just a little longer for that. There were a few other things she would need and she wanted the hotel staff to have time to complete them.

Sookie called down to the front desk and requested the items she would need for her disguise. The woman at the front desk seemed a little surprised at her request, especially for the frumpy clothes, but she did not ask any questions besides details on what to get.

"Once everything is ready, could you have Barry bring it up?"

"The bellboy?" The woman sounded surprised again. Barry must not get many personal requests.

"Yes, I trust him and Leif is very picky about who comes in the room."

"Yes, of course." That had the desired effect. Eric had obviously left an impression on the staff.

Now she could take that shower. Her bath last night had been completely undone. Sookie felt that dry, flaky feeling on her skin that comes from dried sweat. Of course, then she had to remember why she had been sweating. Suddenly, her skin felt warm all over again. She found herself actually fanning her face as she pictured Eric standing there at the side of the bed looking at her.

For the first time, cold showers made perfect sense and Sookie indulged in one, finding it not exactly comfortable but useful. By the time she was done she was clean and calm.

Sookie took the time to dry her hair and started on some very simple make up. If there was one thing she had learned, it was that women who wore too much make-up were considered hussies by the more judgmental church folk. The Fellowship definitely qualified and she wanted to blend in. By the time she was finished, there was a quiet knock on the door.

Sookie made sure the door to her room was firmly shut. Eric may have trusted her, but she doubted he would be too enthused with another man being in the room.

She stumbled over the thought. Eric trusted her. He had left himself at his most vulnerable in her bed. That was definitely going to have to take some consideration when she had time to spare. For now, she needed to clear her mind for her fellow telepath.

The peephole showed a nervous Barry with several bags, so she opened the door.

"Hey, Barry!" She sounded like she was meeting an old friend in her excitement over not being alone.

"Hello, Miss Stackhouse." She knew he had learned her name from his boss. He had very strict instructions about helping her with anything that was reasonable. He was also very nervous about being in a room alone with her. He knew Eric would be asleep somewhere.

"Oh no, we can't have that. Just put the bags down anywhere and call me Sookie. Unless you want me to start calling you by your last name."

"Alright Sookie." He smiled genuinely and then she watched it falter. He had caught site of the coffin in the corner.

"Barry, why don't you sit down so we can talk?" She was trying to not to think too hard. He did not know how to shield, but he had gotten pretty good at just not paying attention. He still had no idea why he was here, but he did as she asked.

Sookie took a seat close to him. "I am afraid I lied to you yesterday, Barry." He was alarmed and hoped the real reason he was here didn't have anything to do with the vampire. The boy obviously wasn't paying attention around the hotel. Otherwise he would know they were useless during the day.

"Barry?" His mind was overrun with images of violent ends. Sookie was getting tired of this. Barry!

She had never tried to send a message to anyone else, but she knew if someone thought something at her, it was always louder. It seemed to work; he jumped a little in his seat, but he was looking at her instead of his hands or the wall. It was definitely an improvement.

Sookie sighed. She had wanted to ease into this a little more. Barry, I know that you can read minds.

His face was ghostly white and he was on his feet before she could say anything. "No Barry, I didn't tell anyone."

That gave him pause. He had been wondering that himself while he contemplated staying to find out or just running.

"I knew you wanted to know that because I'm a telepath as well."

He sat down hard. In fact, Sookie was glad the chair was so soft or he might have hurt himself.

"I know this is a shock for you. It took me by surprise too. I have never met anyone else like us either." She was answering the questions in his head, which was not helping his recovery.

"Barry, I am not going to tell anyone, but I can help you."

"What do you mean?" Now he looked intrigued, though still pale.

"I used to be like you." She left out how young she had been at the time; he did not need her to mock him. "Jumping at other's thoughts, trying to mind my own business. It's why you work here even though you are scared of vampires. Their minds are silent, right?"

He nodded though she knew the answer without his motion. If it would not have scared him, she would have sighed in relief. Had he been able to read their minds, she would have had to change her plans and she had no idea how to hide someone from vampires.

"You can shield yourself, Barry. Make it to where you can't hear anything unless someone is thinking something at you."

Barry's eyes were wide at the thought. It would solve so many of his problems.

"Barry, pay attention to my thoughts." It was weird to have a reflection of her own mind in his but she thought about what it had been like, the jumble of noises. He was thinking how very alike they were. Then she brought up her shields, shutting out his thoughts. It was a relief after the tumult of his mind.

Barry gasped. "I can't hear you either."

Sookie had not been sure that would happen but she had wondered. She just nodded as if she had known. It would help if Barry considered her an expert.

"Now, take my hand and see if you can feel what I do." She had dropped her shields again. Instead of getting unease from him, he was suddenly excited. He took her hand and they stared at each other as their power became amplified. It took her by such surprise that Sookie did not have to put her 'I knew that would happen' face. Her eyes were just as wide. She was certain they could read any mind in the entire hotel if they wanted, but she didn't.

Slowly, deliberately, she began to build up her shield again. She wasn't quite sure how, but she knew that Barry was inside it with her. She hoped he could feel what she was doing. Once it was up, she realized she could still hear his thoughts, but not everyone else's. He was replaying the feeling in his mind, trying to do it on his own.

Sookie smiled and dropped his hand. It was nice to have helped someone. Especially someone like her. "Barry, there is something else I need to talk to you about."

He could tell her voice was serious.

"Obviously, you know I am here with a vampire." He nodded. "Well, I work for that vampire." She let him see the memories of some of the work she had done for Eric. "It isn't always safe." Longshadow came to mind and Barry cringed as if he was being attacked. "But telepaths are considered pretty valuable to vampires, especially those who are trying to mainstream, you know, stay in the public eye."

He seemed to be getting her point, but she wanted to stress this next part. "If you do not want to have anything to do with vampires, then you need to make sure that what you can do does not get out. In a way, you are right to fear some of them. If they know what you can do and refuse to work with them, I would not put it past them to use force, but you could also make some money and be protected." She was not sure that all vampires would be as protective as Eric was, but she had a feeling any of them would not want to compromise an asset.

"They pay you?" Money was the main thing Barry had taken away from her speech, which was not her intention.

"Yes, my boss, Eric, and I have an arrangement."

"Cool."

"It is, Barry, but it is also really dangerous. She replayed her alleyway encounter and the maenad attack." She wanted him to know all the sides, but she thought that she might need to re-emphasize this part as he was still thinking about the money.

He was probably a bright kid who, like her, had not done well in school, always distracted by the thoughts of the other students and the teachers. Without a proper education, getting a good job was always difficult. Money was always tight. It was still odd to her to think of the money that she had in her bank account.

"I need to get ready for the rest of my day, but I hope we will get to talk again. For now, just practice your shielding. It will help a lot. I promise."

"Thank you, Sookie. I hope we get to talk again too." He was smiling for real now as she showed him to the door.

Looking at the clock, she still had some time to get ready before Hugo would be there to pick her up. Sookie called down for a room service lunch and finished her outfit. The long khaki skirt and floral print button down were just about perfect. Her hair was the hardest part, but once she was finished, she was pretty proud of herself.

At a few minutes till 3:00 PM, she made her way downstairs to wait for Hugo. He was already sitting on one of those lobby chairs that always look comfortable but never are. Even in his khaki suit and tie, Sookie still recognized him as the dishwasher from the night before.

"Hugo?" Sookie approached him with a smile.

"... Miss Stackhouse?"

"You had better start calling me Sookie."

"Right, but weren't you... blonde last night?" The man was seriously confused.

"Yeah, but some people had seen me, so I am undercover." She winked at him. Sookie's hair was now a light brown thanks to some dye. Not that she was a huge fan of the new color, she liked her hair, but at least it didn't look terrible with her tan.

"Oh, right. It looks nice on you."

"Thank you!" She still preferred being blonde.

"My car is right outside." Hugo touched her back lightly, showing her the way to the car. It irritated her a little that he thought she might not know where the exit was. But they were supposed to be in some sort of a relationship, so it made sense that they would be accustomed to small touches. Like Eric holding her hand the night before. Is that why Eric had done it so much?

"How long have you and Isabel been together?" Hugo's brain was unusually tight lipped. Sookie was by no means trying to read his thoughts, but it was odd not to hear anything.

"Almost a year now I think." Right now he looked much more like he belonged in suburbia with a wife and kids, but then Sookie looked kind of the same way in her get-up.

"What about you and that Leif fellow?" Sookie had not even thought that details about their relationship might come up, but Hugo sounded more like he was asking because she had instead of actually caring.

"Oh, not long at all, nothing compared to a year."

He seemed satisfied with the answer. Actually, he seemed to want to ask something entirely different. "Can you really read people's thoughts?"

It seemed silly to deny the fact, especially to someone in a similar position to her own. "Yeah."

"Explains a lot." She was not quite sure what he had meant, but she got the feeling she wouldn't like it even if she did.

Her own lack of details about Leif had led her to a realization. "We need a backstory. Things will come up in casual conversation, and we need the same answers.

"We could be brother and sister."

"It's possible even though we don't look much alike, but siblings would know everything about each other. It would make more sense if we're dating. That way anything we don't know can just be chalked up to the length of time we have been together."

"That makes sense. You could have just moved here and we met at my church, Glen Craigie Methodist. It's my actual church, so that is easy for me."

"Alright, I manage a restaurant." Between her experience at Merlotte's and working with Eric, that was not much of a stretch for her.

"Easy to remember, and I will just be me. Don't want to get it all jumbled up. I am not much of an actor."

"We've only been together a month." It was the question that had almost tripped her up.

"Sounds good."

Sookie was thinking about Eric again... Leif. "They might know my name because of the bug, so I will have to change it. How about Pam?" Sookie smiled at stealing the name of her Boss's progeny. The thought of Pam in the khaki skirt from Wal-Mart made her want to laugh outright.

"Okay, Pam it is."

They were silent for a bit now that their story was set.

"How did you meet Isabel?" Sookie was suddenly very curious to find out how a human/vampire relationship worked.

"Well, I am a lawyer, and I represented Stan in court against one of his neighbors." This Sookie could tell. Not only did Hugo think he should have lost that court case, but he was having mixed feelings about his involvement with Isabel. This could get complicated.

Sookie was not at all worried about her own ability to act. She should be nominated for an Academy Award for her everyday life. Not only was she able to get away with the small things like not reaching when a guy was guessing her cup size, but even the big things like keeping herself alive by not letting vampires know she could sometimes read their minds. It would be horrible to enjoy a night with Eric only to have him kill her. That was an off-putting thought.

"Was that trial publicized?" She had to stop thinking about Eric murdering her.

"Yeah... Oh, right, someone there might recognize me." He had not thought of that before.

"That can still work though. You just say that working that case showed you the light and how the vampires have even corrupted the legal system."

"Alright, I think I can do that."

Her already minimal confidence in Hugo was wavering still. She would have to be on point for the both of them. She had seen enough of him last night to know how badly he desired Isabel, but she wasn't sure how much there was between them beyond that. The symmetry with her own situation was not lost on Sookie, but it was not really the time or place to be thinking about Eric. Especially, when she was beginning to wonder how much help Hugo was really going to be.

The building they were pulling up to was a church the size of which Sookie had never seen. Even the Baptists in her area would have been jealous of the parking lot. The sign read 'FELLOWSHIP OF THE SUN- Only Jesus Rose from the Dead.'

Her snort was not very lady-like. "You'd think they never read the scripture. Or do they think Lazarus was a vampire?"

"You need to stop talking like that. If you can't get over it, they are going to figure us out pretty quick."

Sookie nodded. She knew he was right, but she was a little tired of his attitude. If she was going to pretend to be in love with him, she didn't need to be getting annoyed with him this quickly.

The day was gorgeous compared to the sweltering heat Sookie had endured the previous day and the doors to the church were open wide to take advantage. It actually made the place look welcoming.

Hugo taking her hand made Sookie jump. Even though she had thought about suggesting it earlier, she had not wanted to push it. However, it did make them look more like a couple. The contact brought his thoughts out more clearly, and he did not want to be holding her hand. He felt a certain level of disgust towards her. She was taken aback by the sentiment. Sure, there were people who did not like her, but this distaste spoke to something else.

Unfortunately, she had no time to focus on it. The performance was about to begin. Her audience was approaching, so she put a smile on her face and followed Hugo.

* * *

><p>I know that you all were hoping Sookie wouldn't freak out… I just couldn't see Sookie not flipping out a little. At least she isn't like blaming him for seducing her or anything. She just has some reasonable fears about the future!<p>

Hopefully the next chapter will be out a little faster!


	21. Chapter 21

**BIG THANKS** to my awesome Beta, pretendi'mnothere, for pushing through the edit so I can get this chapter out to all you nice people who are worried about Sookie's safety!

As always any recognizable characters, places, or events are property of the great CH or in Godric's case a little of her (as in his name) and a lot of Alan Ball.

* * *

><p>The set up was actually quite nice. They entered through what Sookie assumed was the Sunday School room and then down a hall of offices. Each office was labeled with another official sounding title like "Media Relations" or "Advertising". Eventually, a middle-aged woman who very much liked the color pink, stepped out of her office. Her own outfit included a jean skirt and a knit top, so Sookie knew she had picked well.<p>

"Hi, can I help you?" Her eyes were hopeful.

"My girlfriend and I were looking to get some more information on the Fellowship." He seemed perfectly at ease and genial. Sookie was beginning to think he might have downplayed his acting abilities. What kind of lawyer can't sell a lie?

"Of course! My name is Sarah Newlin; I'm the director's wife. Why don't you let me show you around?" She had shaken Hugo's hand, but Sookie was not offended. A lot of women did not think it proper to shake hands with other women.

Office doors opened and people called greetings as they made their way through the hall, Sookie couldn't help but think this place did not seem sinister at all. True, Sarah Newlin was moving at a pace just a tad too fast to be considered comfortable, but she seemed like a purposeful woman.

The building was larger than Sookie had first imagined, so by the time they made it to the director's office Sookie was retracing her steps to make sure she had not missed anything. That way, if the door opened up and a coffin was in the back with Godric's name on it she would know exactly how to get back. She would have laughed at the idea, but Sarah had already knocked on her husband's door.

There was no answer but she entered after a moment. The tall, lanky, well-groomed man behind the desk was not what Sookie had expected from an anti-vampire fanatic. He really did look like he might be the pastor of some church. It was off putting.

The other woman in the room looked as if she belonged more in a business office than here. Her hair was completely gray unlike the man's. His was only streaked. His smile was welcoming, but the older woman looked mildly upset, perhaps by their interruption.

"What can I do for you?" Steve gave them his full attention as he motioned to the chairs in front of his desk. The women settled themselves as well, as if this was normal. Sookie took comfort in that. She wanted things to stay normal.

"Can I get you two anything?" Sarah asked from her seat behind Steve. The 'happy couple' both shook their heads.

"Oh dear, I never even asked your names?"

"I'm Hugo Ayres and this is my girlfriend, Pam Smith."

Sookie smiled, but it looked natural following the introduction. Of course, humans couldn't get away with only have a first name the way that vampires could. Hugo's choice seemed suspect to her because of the generic nature, but unless someone was already suspicious, it was a very common last name.

"Hugo Ayres? That name sounds very familiar... Sarah, do you remember that name?" His expression of questioning was perfectly practiced down to the raised eyebrow and slightly tilted head.

"Hi, I'm Polly Blythe, Fellowship ceremonies officer." Sookie nodded, another last name. "And he was that lawyer who represented a vampire."

"Oh yes... So, Hugo, can we all rejoice that you have turned your back on those things?"

"Yes, actually."

Steve was not listening as he went off on a rant about vampires. How their end would come, the special place in hell for them, this was much more like what Sookie had envisioned. Of course, the gleam of satisfaction with which he said it all worried her. Sarah was just nodding her head as if there was not a thought inside which was her own and Polly looked as if she might need a cold shower by the time he was done.

When he began to compare humans to toilet paper which vampires use, Sookie was glad that someone came to interrupt. His speech could have only deteriorated from there. The man who entered was handsome in almost the same way as Alcide, dark hair and tanned skin. Only his looks lacked the carefree nature Alcide always carried. His crew cut, perfectly pressed outfit and carefully shaved face told he cared very much about his appearance.

"Excuse me, Steve, our guest for the event would like to speak with you."

"Gabe, I'm busy right now." Steve's smile never broke and the other man, Gabe, spoke with the same cheeriness everyone else did. At first, Sookie had thought it was pleasant, but now it was unnatural, creepy even.

"I think it would be good if you could come now. He is so important to everything going smoothly, wouldn't want to upset him. Surely, these guests can wait for a moment."

"No, I will see him in a moment."

The two stared at each other for a minute, but something in Steve's eyes made Gabe nod and back down. Obviously, Gabe was not one of those in the Fellowship who worshipped Steve, but he did listen to him. What would happen to the Fellowship if Steve were no longer around?

Sookie wanted to shake her head to clear out the thoughts. Sookie realized she had been spending too much time with vampires as she strategically planned the death of another human. Or maybe she was just a bad person...

"What event do you have going on?" Hugo asked, trying to draw out information that might be useful.

"We are having a special ceremony at dawn." Polly looked overly excited. They were now in her area of expertise.

"That sounds interesting. Is it literally at dawn?" Sookie tried to sound intrigued but not worried.

"Oh yes, we even call the weather service to make sure we know what time the sun will rise." Polly's smile had grown to an uncomfortable looking width.

Her glee at the prospect of the sun rising had Sookie on guard. Then, suddenly, it clicked. Godric was their special guest and there was only one thing that they could be doing with him that would center around sunrise.

Sookie squeezed Hugo's hand involuntarily. This was very bad. She was torn between wanting to leave right away to be there when Eric woke up with the information she did have. Only, she still was not sure where they were keeping Godric. How could she go back to the safety of Eric without knowing at least that?

Hugo had been talking to Steve while she was thinking, but she had missed the conversation until Steve referenced "them rising." At first, she pictured buns in the oven before she realized that he was talking about vampires. Of course, there was still time before they would be up. It would be a waste of her time to run back to the hotel. If she and Hugo stuck around a little longer, she might be able to pick out his mind from among the sheep at the Fellowship.

She was determined now. Did she trust these people? No. But she had promised Eric that she would help him find his maker. Now she was certain that they meant to kill him the very next morning. She had to act quickly. "That sounds great. It looks like you all have some pretty extensive properties. I would love to see the rest of the building before we go get our stuff for the lock-in." Everyone in the room looked a little surprised, even Steve. Hugo, who had shouted something very different in his head looked downright flabbergasted for a moment before he recovered. Maybe he thought she had a plan, but she just knew she had yet to feel a void.

"Yes, we will definitely need to go after the tour though. Got to feed the cat and grab our stuff you know."

"Of course! Well, why don't you follow us?" It was easy to tell that this was not the way that Steve had envisioned things going, but he still looked happy.

Sarah led the way with Polly walking beside them and Steve bringing up the rear. They were pointing out interesting rooms and hallways, but Sookie was not paying attention. She was scanning the area, amazed by the sheer amount of people within the Fellowship. She did not actually enter anyone's thoughts as she skipped from head to head trying to find a void.

She was so engrossed in her work that when she finally hit an anomaly, she stopped dead in her tracks, Steve bumping into her. The shifter that was walking towards them was looking at her as well. Could she smell that something that made Sookie different as well?

True, Weres and Shifters were not out in public yet, but Sookie was still pretty surprised to find one here. However, if these people did know that the woman in front of her could change into some sort of animal, Sookie very seriously doubted they would be lining up for autographs.

She had only a moment to smile at the girl before she was ushered on. Then she had to focus on her goal again as she hopped from one mind signature to another. It was more difficult than she thought. The times she had ingested vampire blood she had noticed that her power seemed stronger, but that was actually working against her this time. There was a flood of heads as her range was increased, but she was struggling to focus that down to finding Godric.

They arrived at a corridor that Sookie thought matched the entrance, but when Sarah opened the door, it led down to a basement. As in the perfect place to hide a vampire. Sookie desperately wanted to punch Hugo who suddenly seemed to have developed claustrophobia. His new fear was making it hard for her to concentrate and she needed to get down there to be sure.

"Pam, sweetheart, don't you think we should be getting home so we can pack for the lock-in tonight?"

"We have plenty of time and I would love to know what is down here. I mean, how many places in Texas have basements?"

Steve seemed pleased as punch to lead them down. Once they reached the floor level there was another door which Gabe opened up. Hugo had settled down finally and Sookie had zeroed in on the void at the back of the basement.

Of course now she had to decide if she needed to see him first to make sure they hadn't found some other wandering vampire. Then again, it didn't really matter because any vampire the Fellowship had would need to be rescued and if it wasn't Godric Sookie had no idea where else he might be.

"Well, this has been a great tour, but Hugo was right. We need to get back and pack up before the lock-in!"

Sookie's voice was a more chipper version of Crazy Sookie, by the expressions on the faces around her she had missed something along the tour. The pleasant smiles had become leers and Sarah had excused herself while Sookie was lost in thought. Even Hugo seemed resigned to something that Sookie had overlooked in her fervor to find Godric.

Staying in character, Sookie grabbed Hugo's hand. "Is everything alright, sweetie?" He had not responded, it was a reasonably question.

But she was not just asking out loud. For the first time, she really delved into Hugo's mind, practically breaking through the flimsy silence that ensconced it. He actually gasped as if he had been able to feel her aggressive entry into his mind.

What she saw made her release his hand as quickly as she had taken it. She had been holding hands with the traitor all day and never realized because she was too preoccupied and too trusting to delve into the minds around her.

Her shields were officially down. She had little time to worry about him as thoughts from Steve and Gabe crowded into her mind as she actively sought information from them. The three men had moved themselves in between her and the exit. If it was just one of them, she might have taken her chances, filled with vampire blood as she was. But Gabe was big on his own and getting through all three seemed unlikely. That left her one option farther in the basement.

Before the men could even register that she knew the game was up Sookie had bolted. If she could wait them out until sunset then maybe she could get some help. After all, Eric would know if she was in trouble.

She ran into the first open room and slammed the door. Of course, she had no way of knowing that it locked from the outside until she was already trapped. The clicking of the lock behind her sounded resolute.

"What are you going to do with her?" That was Hugo. Was he suddenly concerned for her? It seemed a little late.

"Just leave her in there for now. Maybe she would like to 'Meet the Sun' with our guest." Steve's voice left her with a chill. "Gabe, if you could see to our other little problem?"

"What? No!" It was odd for Sookie to only be able to hear what was going on outside. The dim light in her glorified broom closet made the whole scene even scarier. "I helped you all!"

"Yes, and we are glad that you have seen the error of your ways in time. But you have already betrayed those you professed to care about once. What happens the next time an attractive spawn of Satan crosses your path?"

Sookie had seen this coming as soon as she realized her misstep. Apparently, Hugo had honestly believed he would be welcomed into the fold with open arms. She slammed her shields into place, no longer able to handle his fear magnifying her own.

"We cannot allow you to endanger the cause."

Hugo was actually whimpering right outside her door. It was a horrid sound, but Sookie could feel little pity for the man who had put them both in this situation.

"Gabe?" Footsteps retreated as Sookie assumed Steve left his underling to do the dirty work. There was a brief moment of Hugo pleading and then Sookie thought she heard a chuckle before a loud snap rang through the air followed by the distinct sound of a human body crumpling to the floor. She had been wrong before; she could feel pity for him.

Her mind had a moment's respite as Gabe left, presumably to move Hugo's body. If she had not gotten herself locked in this room it would have been the perfect time to make her escape. She kicked the door and even ran at it a few times, but all that she got out of it was a sore ankle and a rather bruised shoulder. Even with vampire blood, it was stupid to try breaking down the door, especially considering it opened inward, but Sookie was tired of just sitting there. Once Gabe returned she realized she would have preferred being alone again.

She had kept her mind open only enough to track the movements of the humans, but Gabe's voice on the other side of her door told her she needed to be a little more prepared than that.

"What do you say you and me have a little fun? Steve and the others won't be back down here for a while, so we have all the time and privacy we need. After all, if you are going to die tomorrow, wouldn't you like to spend the night with a real man?"

"Actually, I just slept with a vampire last night, so I think I'm all set." Let the vampire hater chew on that piece of information. Not that poking the bear was a good idea, but from the horrible things Sookie was seeing in Gabe's head, it did not matter much what she said. She would keep up the bravado as long as possible.

She could practically feel his hatred seething through the door. The lock clicked back open and Sookie braced herself against the door. She had no intention of getting trapped in any room with that pretty snake. His first attempt at opening the door did not even budge her. Obviously, he had not been expecting any resistance.

He put a little more weight into the next time, but it only opened it a little before Sookie managed to close the gap again. However, it did become apparent to Sookie that she would lose this battle eventually. He had the easier job and superior weight. She could hold the door for a while, but eventually he would get through. By that time, she would simply be tired as well as bruised.

Gabe did not seem to want to play either. Luckily, he did not seem to understand her abilities at all. He sent her a rather clear signal of his intent before he ever stepped back. Sookie prepared herself; this would be her best chance.

The man took a few steps away from the door and then a running start at it, intending to knock her out of the way. It was a good plan, too. Only Sookie had stepped to the side and opened the door. It would have been incredibly hilarious, something straight from The Three Stooges, watching the hulk of a man run straight into the opposite wall had the situation been any less dangerous.

As it was, Sookie did not even snicker as she used her enhanced speed to slip out the door. Gabe had not yet recovered from his collision as she shut the door on him. Things were looking up as she noticed the keys still in the door. Now it was her turn to lock him in.

He must have regained his senses because the whole door was shaking as he beat on it. Her own shoulder twinged with pain at the memory.

Usually Sookie was not one to gloat but she very possibly just escaped being raped. It felt a little surreal as the thought really hit home that he had intended something so despicable. It was not a novel feeling, but there was so much more malice behind his thoughts than the ones she had suffered through as a child. Somehow that made it easier.

She knew it was silly, but she actually felt giddy after it all. "Well Gabe, I guess you better hope Steve is okay with you not only losing me... but also the vampire."

"You bitch!" His yell did not sound as menacing from this side of the door.

"That's right, you just scream yourself hoarse. I bet you will be in there for a while."

"I believe you were speaking about me?"

Sookie quite nearly fainted. In her struggles with Gabe, she had not realized that someone else had entered the hallway of the basement. Now, she was almost eye level with a young looking vampire, tribal tattoos visible beneath his gauzy white shirt.

"I did not mean to frighten you, but you should not be here.

"Godric..." Sookie had no doubt this was Eric's maker.

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><p>I know, I know, not a nice place to stop. But it would have taken me twice as long to get through the next part, so at least you got this much pretty quickly! Hope you all enjoyed it!<p> 


	22. Chapter 22

I know what you all were thinking…. Oh my god, she died. But no, I am alive!

I really am very sorry for how long this took. I actually got a full time job that I am settling into. Hopefully, this will be the only chapter that takes almost a month to post.

There are no terribly **huge** changes to this chapter, but I am setting up some stuff. Hope you all enjoy it!

PS My beta probably thinks I am dead as well, but I wanted to get this out to you. Sorry if it is messy!

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><p>"What do you mean <em>I<em> should not be here? You're one to talk!" It took her by surprise that the vampire she was there to rescue was questioning _her_ presence.

"How did you know my name?" His face was perfectly calm, not in the bored affectation that so many vampires adopted, but more in an ancient, not easily ruffled kind of way.

"Eric sent me to find you." She hoped said, hoping to spur him on to action.

"Are you his?"

Sookie decided he was focusing on all the wrong details, and it was not helping her temperament. Of course, the fact that the longer she stood there, the surer she was that she had managed to sprain her ankle. It was amazing that she had now twice managed to do more damage to herself than her attackers had. It was annoying and exhilarating all at the same time to hurt oneself while saving oneself.

"No, well, I work for him. It's complicated." New number one on the list of conversations she did not expect to have in the basement of an organization who wanted her dead.

"Ah." Had he just smiled? Godric's expression changed even less than your average vampire, which was saying something.

Part of her actually felt like she wanted to pour her heart out to this boyish vampire. Something about his face made her think that he would listen to all the concerns she had about his vampire son.

"Godric, I really need to get you out of here."

"I cannot leave." His voice was quiet, with that hint of an accent that meant English was not his first language. Of course, his first language probably no longer existed.

"Yeah, you can. There's no one down here trapping you anymore, and I'm pretty sure I remember the way out."

"You misunderstand. I am here by choice."

"Godric, they are gonna have you 'Meet the Sun' in the morning."She leaned against the wall to take pressure off her right leg.

"I am aware of their intentions."

Sookie's jaw dropped open. Her Gran would have had something to say about her catching flies. "Then why're you here?" She was trying to stay calm, but he was making it very difficult.

"They would have taken one of us eventually. In fact, they wanted to take Farrell that night at the club. I offered to go along peacefully instead." He managed to sound as if he was patiently explaining something to a child without sounding patronizing. It was impressive, but the subject matter was infuriating.

"But they didn't lock you up, you could've gotten out at any time."

"Had I wished to leave, I could have."

Eric had endangered himself and her trying to save his maker who apparently had a death wish. Her confusion kept her in the basement, where even Gabe was intrigued as he had quieted down. Or perhaps he was simply afraid of the vampire who was on friendly terms with the girl he had just attacked.

"So, why didn't you?" It was the million dollar question, and Godric actually looked down in response.

"As I said, they would have taken someone eventually. I simply ensured no loss of life during the process."

Sookie was getting tired of her own shocked silences, so she made a concerted effort to keep it short this time. Of course, when she tried to speak the sounds that came out were mostly unintelligible until she finally found her words. "You would have lost _your_ life!"

"I have existed since before the Christ these people worship was born into this world. However, I have begun to doubt that is life. After all, can monsters truly have lives?"

It was then that she realized it wasn't that his expression was blank; it was just inherently sad in a simple way. He did not have to have tears sparkling in his eyes or his lips pursed, but there was a weightiness about him from all the things he must have seen. Still he looked… lost.

"You are not a monster!" She believed her words vehemently even though she hardly knew him. How many vampires would be concerned with the safety of unclaimed humans, especially if those humans wanted to kidnap them?

"It is kind of you to say so, but you must have had some dealings with vampires if you work for Eric…" He trailed off as if the thought did not need to be finished.

And unfortunately, it didn't. An involuntary cringe took hold of Sookie as she thought of Longshadow, then the vampire from the alleyway, Pam threatening her in the parking lot. Even Eric had showed less than savory behavior before. Reading her expression, Godric continued.

"You have every right to be frightened of us."

"You aren't all like that." Her voice sounded more desperate than she had intended, like she was trying to convince herself as well. "You and Eric are more human than that man in there!" She pointed to the room that held the still quiet Gab. "You came to help me when it was humans that left me down here with him. He's the real monster!"

She had worked herself up into a fit of righteous indignation. Her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath.

"I do not doubt that there are truly bad humans." For a moment, she thought he would continue, but he stared off before returning his gaze to her. "However, we must get you out of here. I cannot stay knowing that my actions would result in your death."

Sookie nodded. He had said "we," and she liked any plan that got both of them somewhere else.

"I can distract them while you leave." That was not what she had just agreed to.

"I'm not going anywhere without you. Otherwise, Eric will just risk pissing off Stan by coming back in here after you." She did not know if that were true, but it definitely sounded like something Eric would do.

Godric must have agreed. "Very well. We will leave together." His smiles were very small but pleasant.

"Well, alright then."

"Are you alright to walk?" He was looking at the leg she had up while leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, I think I might have just like sprained it. Turns out it is my week for injuries." She tested her weight on it, holding back her grimace. It was not fun but definitely walkable.

"Should I carry you?" Sookie looked up and Godric was right next to her by the wall, leaning over to see her foot.

"No, I'm really fine on my own."

"You smell like him." The topic change was abrupt.

"Who?" For some reason, she imagined his smelling Gabe or poor Hugo.

"Eric, you smell like him. The two of you must work very closely together for it to be so strong."

"It's a long story." She was saying that too much.

Godric only nodded, another tiny smile on his lips. Without a word, he went over to the door that closed off the corridor. All it took was a effortless looking push, and Sookie heard the deadbolt snap out of place, the door swinging open in front of them. Sookie pocketed the keys Gabe had left in the door. Who needed keys when you had a vampire?

The trip back was much slower going as the girl and vampire crept along the halls. Sookie was trying to be stealthy, but the pain in her leg was making that increasingly hard. On top of that, every once and awhile, Godric would push them into a corner or a dark office. If he had been any other male, Sookie would have thought he was making opportunities, but he looked much too young and was far too old to be concerned with such things. Plus, she always felt the passing of other human minds shortly after they hid.  
>Things had been going smoothly until they hit their first speed bump.<p>

"Oh shit..." She stopped, looking at Godric. "Steve, he's on his way down to check on us." She was keeping her mind open to these people, no matter how their thoughts irked her.

"I fear we will be forced to split up. I will go speak with Steve while you escape."

"You promise to get out of here afterwards?" Sookie looked at him sternly. She had no intention of having to come back in after him.

"If the word of a vampire is worth anything, I give you mine now." Godric almost seemed sad not to have a better oath to offer.

"Your word is all I need." Hopefully, this would not come back to bite her in the ass. As far as she could guess, it was still not quite sunset. She had meant to ask Godric how he awake was this early, but other pressing matters had taken precedence, and he was already gone.

She began making her way back to the sanctuary, passing Steve's closed doors as Godric discussed some second thoughts with him. She had to fight the urge to run, but her ankle helped with that. Luckily, Steve had not introduced her around as the girl they were about to kidnap, so most glimmers of recognition ended with generic smiles.

Unfortunately, she felt one familiar mind making its way down the hall. Polly was effectively blocking her escape as she spoke with some underling with that crazed fire in her eye. Sookie walked back around the corner out of view before she was seen, but Godric was no longer there to take her down a different path.

She stood still, trying to calm herself. Instead, she could not get rid of this buzzing. Of course, that was when she realized it wasn't in her mind, it was someone else's. When she turned around the shifter stood in front of her, tapping her bright red shoe against the floor.

"I was not sure I would be seeing you again." The small hispanic woman said as if this were an everyday occurrence.

"Is there another way out of here?"

"Yeah, sure." The woman must have caught the panic in Sookie's eyes because she took off the in direction she had just come, Sookie struggling to trail behind her.

"Thank you..." Sookie managed to whisper when a group of women slowed them down.

"Luna." The shifter filled in the blank.

"Thank you, Luna. You probably just saved my life." The shifter only nodded, smiling at those passing them. Sookie's ankle was fervently protesting the current pace. The long skirt made it impossible to see, but she figured it was probably swollen beyond recognition at this point anyway.

"Earlier, when you saw me..." Luna stopped as if she did not want to give too much away with her statement.

"I knew you were a shifter." Sookie finished for her, matter-of-factly.

Luna stopped dead, and Sookie ran right into her. The gasp of pain was only cut off when she covered her own mouth. Luna looked at her apologetically, but only for a minute before the tough girl reappeared.

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Back home, I have a friend like you. Y'all sound alike." She was breathing heavily, as she leaned against the wall to take pressure off that leg.

"Sound?" Luna asked before she started moving again. It took Sookie a moment to convince her body to follow. Only the thought of being put back downstairs with Gabe kept her moving.

"Well, I know your secret, only fair you know mine." This was becoming too much habit after years of pretending she wasn't. "I am a telepath."

"No crap?" Luna said in disbelief, waiting for Sookie to nod before she would actually believe her. "Huh, never met a telepath before. What are you doing here?"

"A vampire went missing, and I was brought in to help find him."

"Oh..." There was a lot of disapproval in that one syllable, but considering Sam and Alcide's feelings towards the vampires she knew, Sookie was getting the feeling there was a mutually universal disgust between vampire and shifters.

She had no chance to respond as they entered the Sanctuary. People were already setting up their sleeping bags for the lock-in, and Sookie had to hid her own disgust of these people who would so blindly lead not only themselves but their children into something like this. If things had gone differently, these children might have watched her burn in less than 24 hours.

"Luna, where are you and your friend going?" A lady who was with her family called to them, obviously concerned that someone would be leaving.

"Oh, we're just going out to grab a cigarette before the doors close."

She bought it with a smile of judgment on the smokers. "Alright, well, hurry back."

"Oh, don't worry!" Luna smiled back at her.

A good portion of the room had heard the conversation, so they continued on unchallenged. It took all the years of practice she had at keeping her face blank to not show the pain that walking caused her.

"Well, you can tell your vampires that we have this place under surveillance." Luna spoke to her again once they were safely outside.

"They aren't my vampires." She said, oddly heated. She had been worried about what working for Stan could mean long term. "I am just working with Texas for a bit... Wait, did you say 'we'? Y'all are organized, that's great! Maybe you _should_ meet my friend; I don't think he really knows that many shifters." Sookie couldn't help but picture Sam and Luna next to each other. Undercover work aside, she seemed much more healthy than the Maenad.

Luna just looked at her for a minute, taken aback by the sudden outpouring of words. "We are a tighter community than you might think." She finally managed.

They began making their way through the parking lot, Sookie gave up on trying to not look pained. "So, if you had this place under watch, then you must have known about Godric. Why didn't you tell the vampires what had happened?"

"We don't exactly talk... plus, he went willing. If they weren't holding him against his will, well, it wasn't really any of our business."

"They didn't know." Sookie tried to explain, gathering her thoughts. "I am not sure what will happen now, but I know Godric no longer plans on staying. I can't imagine that news going over well."

"Crap, I need to get back in there before they figure it out." Luna turned as if to run back in.

"I think it might be too late." Every light in the church and outside it suddenly came on. The flood lights were blinding. Sookie had to turn away, blinking to clear her eyes. For a moment, she could have sworn she had seen Gabe coming out of the building.

"We need to get out of here." She said, but Luna was no longer standing next to her.

An SUV pulled up in front of her, and Luna rolled down the passenger window. "Get in quick, unless you would rather stay!"

Sookie hopped in as best she could, glad to finally be sitting. "Name's Sookie Stackhouse, by the way."

"Nice to meet you Sookie, now buckle up." And she did just that because Luna was definitely not a Sunday driver.

Cars were already pulling out to block the parking lot off. It was clear they would not be getting out the same way they came in. Luna gunned it, jumping the curb and sending them flying onto the grass. It reminded Sookie so much of four-wheeling in Jason's truck, she grinned despite their situation.

"I freaking hated that job anyway. Nutjobs wouldn't know religion if it bit them in the asses."

"Amen and amen!" Sookie shouted as they barreled across the lawn uninhibited. Sookie silently sent up a prayer that Godric would make it out alright. They passed right in front of the building on their escape route before joining the main road, but Sookie only waved to the few people standing around. They both breathed a sigh of relief once they were on a state road, surrounded by perfectly sane individuals.

"Can I use your cell phone?" Luna shook her head, and Sookie was about to get offended by her refusal when the shifter spoke.

"Left it in my office with my purse when I smelled you. Lucky the keys were in my pocket really."

"I need to get back to the hotel. I know you don't like them, but the vampires can help us." Sookie knew better by now than to bring human police into these things. Even if the Fellowship members were technically human, she was working for the vampires and sitting in a car with a shifter. Definitely no place for someone playing inside the rules of humanity.

"Yeah, I will get you back to your people, but then I am going back to mine. Better that this be the most contact they ever have."

In an instant, their conversation was ended. Any specifics details were never shared as their tires left the road for a better view of the setting sun. Luna and Sookie were now hanging upside down surrounded by shattered glass. Someone had hit them from behind.

A large burly hand reached in the missing window towards Sookie. She could feel Gabe's disgusting mind right outside, and she tried to bite the hand, not sure if her arms were working. Her teeth missed, and he quickly retracted his arm.

"She must have hit her head in the crash." Gabe said to someone in his overly nice voice. "I am only trying to help."

If Gabe was using that voice, then there must be someone else out there to talk to. Someone not with the Fellowship.

"He's lying!" She yelled to whoever was out there. "He is the one who hit us!"

"I think she may have had too much to drink, we just came from the bar."

"Please, call the police!" It was easy to get that panicked pleading sound in her voice with Gabe's thought crowding in on her.

"Mister," Sookie heard another male voice speak sternly. "fair warning, I am armed. Now step away from the lady's car, or I will consider you a threat to her safety. She obviously does not want you near her." Maybe Texas wasn't so bad.

She watched Gabe's khakis back away slowly, but they were quickly replaced by some blue jeans. Another man, almost as big as Gabe, bent down to look in the car. His face was scruffy and quite possibly the nicest thing Sookie had ever seen. She could have kissed him.

She knew after seeing the poor women trapped in the car, he would not hesitate to shoot Gabe and call it self defense. Just like she knew that Gabe had driven alone because he did not want anyone else with him when he recaptured her. She shuddered involuntarily.

"Are you ladies alright?"

"We'll live." Luna said, not quite as won over by their hero as Sookie.

"Ma'am, I've called 9-1-1." He looked at Sookie with an encouraging smile.

"Could you please stay until the police get here? I don't trust that man." He looked up to where Gabe must have been standing, his hand on the holster at his hip. Apparently, neither did he.

"Of course." His face disappeared, but his legs only turned around, guarding her window. Chivalry was not dead in Texas!

"Well, if she doesn't want my help, I will just get going." Gabe explained to her scruffy savior.

"No, sir, you won't. You need to stay here until the police arrive and everything can be sorted out proper."

Sookie looked over as Luna started moving. She managed to free herself in a fashion which Sookie envied but knew she could not replicate. Of course, once she was free of the seat, she still had to get out of the car which involved some wiggling and pushing off of different surfaces, including Sookie. The waitress decided if one of them could get out, she would not complain.

By the time more Fellowship members had arrived, the side of the road was swarming with people who had stopped to see what was wrong. As far as she could tell, they all saw the two girls as victims. There was no way the Fellowship could lay hold of them without causing too big a scene.

A rather cute paramedic helped Sookie out of the car without gathering any more cuts. He was very concerned over the state of her ankle and completely unable to figure out how a car crash had caused that. Sookie told him she had no idea either. Luckily, the cuts from the glass were mostly superficial.

"You and your friend will be fine, but you should go to the hospital to run some routine checks all the same."

This was against her whole 'Do not get humans involved' mantra, and she looked to Luna for help. However, the shifter was busy talking to a man in uniform, and Gabe was trying to disappear into the crowd with some help from the Fellowship crew. Mr. Scruffy Angel wasn't having that and pointed Gabe out to the officer's partner.

"I think the hospital might be a little much for some cuts and bruises." Sookie began to tell the medic, but Luna came over before she could actually refuse.

"Oh no, we need to make sure there is no internal damage, and look at that leg. You definitely need a hospital."

Gabe looked as if he was pulling away from one of the cops, and the guy's partner was getting out his handcuffs. The thought of Gabe in prison made Sookie smile.

"Alright, I guess you're right." Sookie gave in. Luna seemed sure, and the telepath had no other plans.

The ambulance ride was blissfully uneventful. When they arrived at the hospital, Luna asked the nurse who came to get Sookie's information to tell a Dr. Josephus that she and her sister were there. The nurse obliged, though she looked doubtful. Even with her tan and brown hair, the two women still looked nothing alike. However, Luna quietly explained to Sookie that he was one of them, Two-Natured.

Dr. Josephus was not what she expected of a shifter. Of course, she knew they aged, but it was weird to think of this austere, silvered-haired man turning into any animal. The feel of his mind betrayed him, and she had to wonder what he normally became. A badger maybe?

"I am Luna Garza and this is my friend... Pam." Luna's voice was suddenly much more respectful and reserved. It was a startling change from the earlier bravado. "We met with misfortune tonight in the line of duty."

This must have been some kind of code, but Dr. Josephus was looking warily at Sookie.

"She is worthy." The very serious phrase sounded funny to Sookie, but she managed to keep a straight face. Her leg was killing her now, and if he could help, she did not want to ruin that.

"You will need X-rays." He said looking down at the bulge that used to be her ankle.

"We need to be out of her as quickly as possible, and we need a way out that is secure." Luna was insistent but respectful, and Sookie was impressed with her sudden tact. No wonder she had been asked to go undercover in the Fellowship, she was good at reading people and catering her attitude towards them.

"Yes, of course."

And he meant it. Sookie was whisked through X-rays and into a private room before most people would have even finished filling out forms. Dr. Josephus met them just a few moments later with the pictures. They had shot her with some sort of local anesthetic, and she could no longer feel her leg. It was an eerie feeling, but at least, the pain was gone.

"Your ankle is broken. In fact, I am amazed you were able to walk on it at all." Sookie wondered if her recent consumption of vampire blood had anything to do with it but decided it was better not to ask the shifter doctor. She could just imagine the blood in her trying to fix the break as she ran around making it worse.

"I am surprised too." She said honestly.

"I will prescribe you some pain pills and get you a boot and crutches. You will need to stay off that for several weeks in order for it to heal properly."

Sookie groaned. Crutches were practically a death sentence for a waitress, even a part time one. Hell, how would she drive with her right foot in a boot?

"Let me get those so you can leave."

"It could be worse." Luna said once the doctor had left, back to her old self.

Sookie had been concentrating on the pain and what it meant so hard that she had forgotten where she had been just an hour or two. She closed her eyes to shut out Gabe's face looming in front of her.

"You have no idea."

Dr. Jospehus did not return, but two male nurses came in and wrapped up her foot. She was booted and in a wheelchair before she even caught their names. The pain pills were in her hand. She desperately wanted to take some before the anesthetic wore off, but it would not be long before she spoke to Eric and possibly Stan. No way was she going to be loopy for that.

Luna wheeled her down to an alleyway, where a creepy looking van waited for them. The woman went over to speak with those in the van, leaving Sookie in her wheelchair. She had pulled herself through too many things this week to get scared now, so she just waited patiently. The sun had set while they were in the hospital, which was not helping the scene be any less threatening.

When Luna returned, she did not seem pleased. "They say I have to blindfold you." She looked as if she were braced for resistance, but Sookie just shrugged.

"Alright." If it got her back to the hotel, she would get over it.

Luna carefully placed the scarf over Sookie's eyes and began tying. "Look Sookie, these guys are a little... intense. So, just be careful."

She swallowed hard at Luna's warning, still trying not to get scared. Sookie felt Luna's hand rest on her shoulder for comfort, but just as quickly it was gone. There were some snarls beside her, and then the sound of car doors opening and what sounded distinctly like growls. That was when she felt it... the silence among all the buzzing.

Sookie stripped off her blindfold. There was Eric, holding Luna by her neck with the guy and girl from the van approaching him slowly. None of them were using their words.

"Er... Leif, put her down right now."

Eric actually dropped her, looking at Sookie confused. Of course, he had thought they were kidnapping her. What else would it look like to someone who stumbled upon a blindfolded girl being led to a van?

"They were trying to help me." She explained.

"They are shifters..." He said it like a dirty word.

"I know, and Luna saved my life... twice." Sookie said, looking at the small woman who had just regained her feet.

Eric studied her for a minute, but Sookie was surprised when he finally spoke. "It would seem I owe you my gratitude."

Luna looked just as taken aback, but she recovered quickly. "Please, don't mention it... like ever again." Clearly, she did not want to receive flowers and a card from the vampire.

"What happened?" Eric turned to Sookie now, glad to not have the shifter lording a debt over him.

"It's kind of a long story, and this probably isn't the best place to have a conversation." She should have that recorded, so she could just press play. "Can I tell you while you drive me back to the hotel?"

"Sookie, I told you last time I would not waste time with a car if you were in trouble again."

He had said it, but she had kind of thought he was joking. She knew better now. Sookie looked to Luna, but she shook her head. Driving a vampire sympathizer was once thing, driving an actual vampire was just not going to happen.

"Luna, it was really nice meeting you. If you are ever in Bon Temps, make sure you stop by. I guess I am going to take a cab from here."

"You definitely keep things interesting girl. I hope that shifter friend of yours can keep you out of trouble."

"I think he has given up trying." Eric looked at her meaningfully. He did not approve of Sam.

As the Two-Natured party loaded themselves back into the van, Eric bent down to her level.

"What did you do to your hair?" He said with disdain, and Sookie laughed.


	23. Chapter 23

Hope you all enjoy this chapter… some pretty big changes, some regular stuff.

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><p>It was a very quiet cab ride back to the hotel. The hair change had easily been explained while Eric wheeled Sookie to the cab. He seemed placated that it would wash out eventually. Now, she needed to talk to Eric about the serious things, but Sookie was dreading having to tell him that she had left Godric alone in that place. He kept alternating his stares between her hair and the large black boot that encased her foot. Fortunately, he seemed to understand that a human cab driver did not need to hear the whole story.<p>

For his part, the cabbie was practically staring down Eric. Apparently, he did not like the vampire taking such a nice looking girl back to his hotel. Eric had not told the man he was a vampire, but between his appearance and their destination, it was easy to guess.

When they pulled up to the hotel, he had finally worked up the courage to say something to Sookie about helping her if she needed it, but she beat him to the punch.

"Thank you so much for the ride. It will be nice to be back in our hotel room." She put a little extra stress into the 'our.'

Eric paid the man after a quizzical look at Sookie. It was a little bit of an ordeal to get out the crutches and hoist herself up. She was definitely not used to using them. The curb up to the sidewalk suddenly looked like a mountain.

Suddenly, she was being lifted, and once again found herself against Eric's chest. The closeness was making her heart do loop-de-loops. Somehow, he had managed to grab her crutches as well.

"Eric..." She began to protest his treatment of her, however sweet.

"I need to know what happened, and I am not going to wait for you to hobble back to the room to find out." It was pragmatic in a somewhat derogatory way, but she understood his feelings. She kept her mouth shut and allowed herself to be carried up to the room a little faster than a human would have, but not so fast as to be alarming.

When they were behind closed doors, he threw her crutches somewhere and gently placed her down on the couch. She was left alone in the room as he went around to gather together the materials required to take out the glass that had been left in her arm from the crash. There had not been time for everything while they were at the hospital. Scooting one of the matching chairs in the room closer to her, he crouched forward on the seat until they were almost touching.

"Tell me everything." In any other circumstance, she might have balked at his authoritative tone, but she knew now was not the time to be arguing with him over something like that. She intended to tell him the story anyway, so his tone did not really matter.

The story did not take quite as long as she had thought it would. Only one tear was shed for Hugo, which Eric did not notice as her eyes were already watering from the feeling of glass being ripped out of her arm. She told him everything she could remember that happened with breaks for gasp of pain from particularly deep glass. She left out Hugo's betrayal, it was wrong to speak ill of the dad, and it meant nothing now. She also left out a few of the impertinent thoughts. She did not say anything of Gabe's intentions. He had not gotten the chance to act on those ideas, and Rene was not so long dead that it had left her mind. What would happen if he ever found out about... She chided herself for even thinking of that man. It had actually been quite some time.

"Sookie, what is it?" He was watching her face too closely and must have seen something.

"Just hurts is all." She was even sure that one counted as a half lie... a misdirection, maybe? He was staring at her leg as if that is what she had meant.

"Here, let me take care of that." He was already bringing up his wrist to bite into it, but she placed her hand on his arm.

"No, Eric, not again." His eyes darkened, and she suddenly realized what that might have sounded like. "I cannot use your blood every time I get hurt." Part of her really wanted to. It would be so much easier, but life was not about easy. It was about living with the pain and getting through it so you can be stronger in the end.

"Sookie, you broke your foot doing something for me. I cannot leave you like that."

"It's my choice Eric." She jutted her chin out stubbornly. For just a moment, she thought he might force her as they held each other's determined gaze, but he finally just nodded solemnly and looked away.

"Eric... don't you want to talk about Godric." It worried her that he had not said a word about his maker. The one they had come for.

"No." His voice was harsh, and she actually flinched even though she knew his anger was not really directed at her. His voice grew softer, almost sad. "It makes no sense."

Sookie carefully placed her hand on his arm again. She had no idea what to say to him, so she just left her hand there, hoping to bring some comfort to him.

He still was staring off away from her. She thought she was something on his cheek, but it was the wrong color to be a tear. The silence stretched on, but neither seemed ready to break it.

"You must be tired." He began abruptly, getting up and turning away from her. "We should get you to bed."

"What about... Stan?" She had almost said Godric, but he did not appear ready to talk about it.

"I will call him once you are asleep and fill him in. If he needs a full report, he can get it tomorrow."

Sookie nodded, but the feeling in her leg was returning quickly, and it wasn't pleasant.

"Sookie, have you taken any of those pain pills?" Eric's voice was very serious.

"No. Medication does weird things to me, so I didn't want to before we got a chance to talk."

Eric went over to the mini-fridge which was apparently stocked and got out some juice. Sookie opened the bottle she was still carrying and took out two pills while the vampire poured a glass for her. She might not have wanted to take the pills earlier, but she certainly did now.

The juice tasted kind of weird, but the pill went down all the same. "Was that grape juice?" She asked looking at the dredges in the cup.

"I did not read the label, and they all look the same to me."

She shook her head in quiet laughter over the incredibly vampiric response. Hopefully, it had not been poison, but she would know soon enough. The pills must have been pretty good because she was already feeling it.

"Could you help me unwrap my leg? I need to take a bath before I pass out."

"Sookie, is that necessary?"

She thought about Gabe and shivered. "Yeah, it is."

He already had her boot off and was unwrapping her leg but paused at the shudder.

"Is there something you are not telling me?" He looked back up at her intently. He was thinking how nice it would be to be able to glamour her sometimes. Only the drowsiness setting in from the drugs had kept her from reacting.

"That place, it just made me feeling dirty. I can't... I need to get clean."

Eric nodded as if he understood. She made to get up, looking around for her crutches, but Eric whisked her away before she could even spot them. He set her gently on the side of the tub, turning on the water to start it heating. Then, he started unbuttoning her blouse.

"Eric, what are you doing?" She asked with a blush.

"Helping you." His voice was husky as he looked her over.

"I feel terrible." She said, holding her blouse together.

"I can change that." His lips were right beside her ear as he spoke.

Her heart kicked up a notch. "No, Eric, you don't understand." How could someone who had looked like that for the last thousand years? "I can't right now, I feel... I look, well, like I just got hit by a car. I am drowsy, drugged and incapable of feeling sexy right now."

He sighed. "If that is how you feel." He continued to work on her shirt, but he had moved away from her a little and his eyes no longer lit her skin on fire.

"Please, I don't want you to see me like this." She wasn't even quite sure how to explain it... The only analogy she could think of was wearing granny panties on a third date. You just don't want to be seen that way, but she was not sure Eric would understand that.

It was his nights for sighs. "Fine, I will turn around while you get in, but I am not leaving you in here all drugged out."

She laughed at his turn of phrase as she slipped in the tub. In the end, it was a good thing he stayed. Sookie fell asleep in the tub before she had even picked up the soap.

* * *

><p>For the second time, Sookie woke up tucked into the bed of her hotel room with Eric out cold across from her. If anyone had any doubts as to whether or not vampires could be sweet, Eric was quickly proving them wrong. Her hair was messy but clean, so he must have washed it. Her leg had been re-wrapped, and even her crutches were thoughtfully placed next to the bed.<p>

She placed a kiss on his cheek that he would never feel before hobbling to the bathroom. Her legs was already feeling much better. It put her in an even better mood. That is, until she looked in the mirror.

"ERIC!" Her bruises had disappeared, her cuts were reduced to faint pink lines, and the holes from the glass in her arm were all closed. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew why the juice had tasted weird, and it wasn't from sitting in the fridge.

Almost immediately, she felt bad for jumping to conclusions. After all, she had taken a fair bit of his blood the night before, maybe it was just a residual healing effect. She had to admit, she did look much better.

Instead of staying angry without more information, she got ready for the day, or what was left of it. It was already well past noon. There was not much daylight left. It was going to be slow going getting ready, so she started with the bathroom necessities.

Once she had finished dressing, she made her way to the common room. She had chosen a knit dress because the pant suit she brought did not fit well over her boot. One of Eric's famous notes lay on the table in front of the couch. She sat down to read it.

I informed Stan of what happened. He has asked that you come to him in person to thank you. It would seem he is impressed with your work.  
>- E<p>

She turned on the TV to have noise in the background. Her talk with Eric before they left had really stuck with her. She had to keep reminding herself that Stan believed she was claimed. The news was a distraction from the stuff playing over in her mind.

"... a strong chance of rain tomorrow, so make sure to take your umbrella. Sue?" The weatherman was segueing back to one of the anchors.

"Thanks, Ron. Now for our top story. An accident on the highway late yesterday afternoon takes an interesting twist. One car was hit from behind, leaving two unidentified woman trapped upside down in their vehicle." Sookie perked up as she realized it was talking about her. "Both were taken to the hospital but have since disappeared. Eyewitnesses remember seeing them, and the ambulance drivers insist they took them to the hospital. However, no record can be found of their visit.

"The man responsible for the crash, Gabe Nichols, has been arrested. Originally, he was taken into custody for causing trouble at the scene of the crime with some others connected to the Fellowship of the Sun. It was discovered that Gabe is wanted in connection with at least five separate rape cases."

"Sookie.." She quickly turned off the TV, but it was too late. He had obviously heard everything. Eric stood in the doorway to her hotel room in nothing but boxers and looking more frightening than she had ever seen. She actually backed away from him on the couch, but he was next to her, his hands around her arms before she could actually retreat.

"What did he do to you?" His voice was barely controlled and his fangs had snapped down. Sookie could tell he was straining not to hold her too tightly because his fingers were trembling against her skin.

"Nothing, Eric." Her voice was soft as she tried to calm him. "I am fine."

"Sookie, do not toy with me." She could feel that pull, as if he were trying to glamour the information from her. "Did he touch you?"

"He never laid a finger on me. Not that he didn't want to, I saw what he was thinking. He just never got the chance." She had hoped that bit of ugly truth would convince him.

He released her arms, keeping his hands around her as if not sure what to do with his arms. His eyes never moved as he exhaled a breath he never had to take. "I was afraid that was why you did not want me to see you last night."

"Oh, Eric, no. I am so sorry!" She let out a deep breath of her own. "Please don't misunderstand me. I appreciate your concern, and even your help when I'm in trouble. It's just that... things have happened in my life, and I don't know that I can trust you not to try and get revenge every time someone hurts me, so I kept the information from you."

"What do you mean 'have happened?'" She could see him getting angry again. "I thought you said he didn't touch you." At least Gabe did not try to deny what she said.

"He didn't." She reassured him.

"But someone else did?"

This was not the conversation she wanted to have with the first man she slept with, but she probably should have known it would come up eventually. It had definitely had some effect on her life. She just stared at him, no saying yes or no.

He waited patiently for a moment, but for a man who had been around for a century, he could not wait long. "Sookie?"

"I had a funny uncle." She meant it as an explanation, but he looked confused.

Her smile was stretched to its breaking point as she spoke. "It was my great uncle actually. He never actually, uh, went the whole way." It was hard to draw her knees to her chest with her leg wrapped, but she got as close as possible. Her breath was speeding up. "There was just other stuff... and then, I always knew, you know. That was the worst part, I knew what he was going to do because I could read his mind."

Eric's eyes were harsh again, and she could hear the back of the couch creaking where his hand was placed. "Where is he now?"

"See, that is what makes it hard to trust you..."

"He deserves to die for what he did to you."

"He will get what he deserves some day, but it isn't just to you to decide what that is." Oddly enough, Eric's anger was taking her mind off the fear she usually felt when reliving those memories.

"Did you put blood in my juice last night?" She asked the change the subject.

"You needed it but were being stubborn. I simply avoided a useless argument." He was no longer crushing their seat, but she was angry instead.

"You can't do that."

"Sorry to disagree, but I already have."

She could not tell if he was trying to be funny, but she definitely was not laughing.

"You cannot just make decisions for me! If I say no, that needs to be the end of it!"

"Had you said no to something that made sense, I would have, but we are going back into Stan's house tonight. I would prefer you not be bleeding."

"You could have just explained that to me." That actually made sense to her. However, she hated admitting that to him.

"As I said, I simply avoided the argument to get to the inevitable outcome."

"You are... insufferable!"

Eric left her sitting on the couch. He was chuckling at her struggle for the right derogatory word.

"You should be able to rest weight on that foot by now." He called back from his own room, which housed his unused coffin. Obviously, her anger did not phase him, and that only made her angrier.

"We need to leave soon. Stan was quite adamant about seeing you, and we need to leave on a good note." If she had been any less upset with him, she would have been concerned with the fact that he still had not mentioned Godric.

"I need to talk to someone before we head out." She said mysteriously.

"Who do you need to talk to?" He asked seriously.

"Eric, I don't know that I can trust you with that information."

"Sookie, I am not in the mood for games."

"Sorry, I am just skipping the argument for the inevitable outcome, and I will be having this conversation whether you give me permission or not."

* * *

><p>Eric and Sookie were still not on speaking turns when one of Stan's vampires came to pick them up. Sookie had made Eric wait in the lobby for a good five minutes without speaking to anyone, then abruptly got up to leave. He had tried to be snide about her not having the conversation without his permission, but she had only smiled at him.<p>

He had practically snarled at their driver when he mentioned Sookie looking good for a car crash survivor. The rest of the ride had been quiet after that.

"We are having a party to celebrate Godric's return."

"Godric is here?" Sookie asked, looking at Eric's deliberately blank face.

"He showed up just after sunset and explained everything." She wondered at the truth of that if they were having a party. "Stan has asked that you just enjoy yourselves for a while."

They nodded and followed him. The party was already in full swing with no sign of Godric or Stan. Neither were in a very partying mood, so they wordlessly moved farther in.

"Godric..." Eric looked up suddenly as if he saw something she was missing. She followed him as he took off towards the back of the mansion. When she saw Eric's maker outside, she held back to give Eric time alone with Godric.

"Sookie, may I speak with you?" Stan himself was now standing behind her.

Part of her wanted to refuse. Technically, Eric was supposed to be with her in these situations, but she did not want to disrupt this moment for Eric and Godric. It was a family reunion.

"Lead the way." She said with a smile.

He smiled back and led her to the dining room, his informal office.

"Leif and Godric told me everything that happened. You did exceedingly well. Solving our conundrum with minimal violence and no direct vampire involvement with the Fellowship.

"Thank you sir." She took the seat he offered next to his own. Eric had been right, her leg could handle weight, but she had kept it wrapped all the same. "I had some help though."

"Yes, I hear you have already made contacts with the shifters here in Dallas."

Sookie did not like his pleased tone. "Only one really, they were not happy with you all encroaching on their territory."

"A human who does not rely on vampires and is capable of befriending the Two-Natured. Tell me, do you have any shifter connections back home?"

"I don't see what that has to do with the work I have done." She was beginning to wish she had asked Eric to come.

"Yes, of course." He did not look humbled. "How long have you and Eric been together?"

"Eric... my boss?" She managed to laugh at the implication. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew. I'm Leif's." Even knowing she was claiming to be a fake person's property, it was still hard to say.

"So, you are not Eric's?"

She had the feeling that she was a little out of her depths, but she didn't actually know how. They had a story, and she was sticking to it. "No."

"How convenient for me!" He seemed genuinely pleased.

"Sir?" She was confused.

"Well, seeing as Leif does not actually exist, you are just a very talented, unclaimed human." He leaned forward, towards her.

"Sir, Leif is just outside."

"Please do not insult my intelligence. I know who he is. I cannot say I blame him. Between his maker being in danger and such a powerful asset as yourself, I could not have resisted coming."

"You know you cannot glamour me to stay." She tried to be matter-of-fact. Considering Eric's reaction to her disability, she had actually wondered if this might happen.

"I was hoping you might want to stay of your own accord." She actually leaned back in relief. If he did not plan on trying to force her, it made everything easier. "Joseph told me things seemed rocky between you and your boss."

She only stared at him, her mind working overtime on something else.

"My rank is higher than Eric's, so he would have to accept your decision. You could live here at the mansion, or I would get you your own house. I would not need you very often, so you could keep normals hours. I can offer you a reasonable salary, enough that you would not have to work again. You would be well taken care of and treated with respect." She was still staring off, trying to properly convey everything.

"Sookie?" Stan asked, growing impatient.

"Shh... this is hard enough without having to talk to you."

Stan's glare could have cut glass if Sookie had been paying attention. But she wasn't. When she finally did look at him, he did not look pleased.

"Just to be clear, you want a telepath? There, uh, wouldn't be any other expectations... you know, you wouldn't want anything more." The blush and her tone made it clear what she was asking.

"I rarely mix business with pleasure. I am only interested in you as a telepath."

"Then Barry accepts!"

"Excuse me?" Watching a vampire be confused was fun.

It was difficult to translate a business proposition telepathically, more pictures and feelings than anything else, but Barry seemed very excited to be quitting his job. He was already planning the speech to his boss.

"Barry... the bellboy. He's a local telepath I met at our hotel. He is not quite as good as I am, but that will come with the use of his.. abilities. Plus, he doesn't come with all the political strings attached." No matter her current feelings towards Eric, she had no intentions of jumping ship. It was weird that it had taken this offer to make her realize it.

"I see..." She watched as Stan weighed his options, but he finally smiled knowingly.

"You are a very surprising young woman, Miss Stackhouse. I believe I would have enjoyed working more with you." It was clearly a dismissal, and she was happy to oblige.

Most of the party was still going, ignoring or oblivious to the fact that the guest of honor was outside arguing with his progeny. Perhaps arguing was an overstatement. When Sookie snuck out the back door, they were talking in some language she was fairly certain no longer existed.

Godric's face was absolutely calm, almost apologetic, but Eric had red streaks running down his face. Sookie had heard that vampires cried blood, but she had never seen it. Watching Eric now, she couldn't help but feel sad for him, and a little angry at his maker.

She did not have to understand the language to get the conversation. Godric was telling Eric goodbye. He must have still intended to Meet the Sun.

The discussion only lasted another minute, then Godric must have issued some order because Eric reluctantly backed up towards the mansion, wiping away tears. Sookie reached up to touch his arm before he went inside, but he barely paused.

She stepped forward until she was next to Godric. "I guess I might as well have left you down there."

"No, you were right. Using the Fellowship of the Sun was not a good idea. I shall be leaving this world on my own terms when the sun rises.

"You know good and well that isn't what I meant."

"Nonetheless, I will not have the humans blamed for my actions."

Normally, Sookie was a very calm and sweet person, but when her temper flared, she could be a real spitfire. Seeing Eric, who she had to admit she cared for, crying over his maker had poked the coals.

"You know, I figured when I met Eric's maker, it would be like meeting his family, seeing where he got some of his personalities traits. Now, I totally get the self-absorption, but I figure that is kind of a vampire trait. He definitely didn't get your cowardice though."

"Pardon me?" It was the first time she had seen him ruffled, but rather than worrying about poking the ancient vampire, she forged ahead with her rant. It was impressive, in a self-destructive sort of way.

"Here you are thinking only about yourself and how you feel like an outsider as if you were the only one who ever felt that way. You're a vampire; of course, you're different, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing! At least you know what makes you different. Should I commit suicide since I can read minds and could possibly use that against people? If you think y'all are such monsters, why not take more out with you? Why not kill Eric?"

"Sookie..." Godric looked either mad or concerned. She was so worked up at this point, it was hard to tell. In fact, she had not breathed since she started talking.

"No! Do you know how much good a vampire could do who understands that there is value in human life? Have you ever thought what new things you could teach them? Teach Eric? Nope, you just got all 'woe is me' and decided to take the easy way out. But guess what? Monsters do have lives, and they are all around us, both human and vampires. Only, instead of fighting them, struggling for the good in life, you'd rather just end it and leave the rest of us to clean up the mess.

"It is not that simple." Godric informed her when she was forced to take a breath.

"That's bullshit! Yes, it is. Sure, life is a struggle, but it is worth the work you put into it. You've just lost sight of that. How many vampires could stay at the Fellowship without being chained up or draining someone? You are proof that humans and vampires can get along. They both just need an example. You can show vampires how."

"I know that you do not wish to see Eric hurt, but he will move past this." She could not be sure, but he sounded as if he was trying to convince himself.

"It is so much more than that!" Sooke stalked off frustrated, unsure if anything she had said actually got through to him.

Once she got back to the party, she did not see Eric. Not that she expected him to be standing at the bar chatting it up, but she hoped they could at least be miserable together among the frivolity. She found a seat on the couch and plopped down. She had failed him.

She had failed everyone here because she was so absorbed in what was going on with Godric, she had missed the influx of humans minds that were now practically surrounding the building.

Sookie popped up as she realized that was happening. "Everyone down!"

Every vampire in the room reacted immediately, hitting the floor while her voice still rang through the air. The humans were a little slower. Sookie was on the ground before she had made a decision to follow her own instructions. When the shots started, she realized Eric was on top of her, shielding her with his body.

Sookie shut her eyes as one girl who had been too slow dropped to the floor, her skull shattered by a bullet. The pool of blood was already spreading, and she felt like it was coming right for her.

"Godric..." She whispered once the volley had ended. Vampires were already disappearing to chase their attackers.

"I am quite alright." He looked down at the two still on the floor. "Were either of you injured?"

"I didn't get hit." Sookie reassured the two vampires watching her.

"Godric?" Eric was staring at the hole in Godric's white tunic which was surrounded by a red stain.

"I may have been hit while trying to protect a human."

It was hard to feel bad for the members of the Fellowship who had just attacked them, but the look on Eric's face scared her on their behalf. He was up faster than she could follow, but he stopped just as quick. Godric had grabbed his arm. It made sense that Eric's maker would be stronger or faster than him, but it was still amazing to see.

"Eric... my son."

"Why are you stopping me?" For the first time, Sookie realized that Eric was bleeding very slowly as well.

"Going after them now would only beget more violence. We must be more than that Eric, and value all human life, not just the lives of those with whom we get along. It is the only way to coexist.

Sookie looked up at Godric with hope, and he smiled back. "A very wise human once told me that I could help vampires realize this, help you, and I intend to do so."

Eric did not seem happy about leaving Godric's wounds unavenged, but Godric had practically just said he no longer wanted to Meet the Sun. There was no way he was upsetting that balance now, so he nodded compliance.

"Sookie has been through enough without being exposed to this horror. Let us leave this place."

It was as if his mention of the carnage brought it all to her attention. Her concern for Godric and Eric had momentarily blotted it all out, but that was done now. Lives has been lost here, and the room was filled with blood, tears, and wails from the living. It threatened to overwhelm her, but Eric's arms were around her once again. She buried her face into his shirt, wishing it could block out the noise as well.

There were no protests as Eric carried her out of the house. She just took in his mental silence to block the overwhelming agony about her.

"We'll get you back home." He whispered into her ear before getting out his cell phone to start the travel arrangements.

* * *

><p>I always thought that the only reason Stan did not make a play for Sookie is he had heard about Sookie.<p>

Hope you all enjoyed this, and as always, **I appreciate reviews!**


	24. Chapter 24

I know this is going to seem kind of abrupt, but this will be the final real chapter of this story…

So, now for the conclusion of Single and Defective!

PS If I promised no more Alcide, then I apologize... he is just such a good plot device!

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, places, and plots are property of Charlaine Harris or Alan Ball

* * *

><p>Eric must have been very busy. Pam mentioned he had gone to New Orleans for a few days. Something about Godric being officially welcomed into the Kingdom. There also seemed to be an endless supply of Area Five work to catch up on. It was hard to listen to Pam talk when she seemed so especially pleased about telling Sookie that Eric could not speak to her.<p>

Instead, she took some extra hours at Merlotte's, did some much needed yard work, and generally tried not to feel like Eric was avoiding her. It was hard considering they had not spoken in three weeks.

It was at that point that she began rationalizing. She figured she had scared him off with her baggage, and he would probably not be calling again. He may have said he would not be done when the chase was over, but that was before he knew that he was chasing damaged goods.

However, having an explanation had not made it any easier on her. She was still depressed. Unfortunately, Sam was distracted with whomever, and Jason was, well, Jason. Sookie was left her alone with her thoughts. Her friend Tara from high school seemed to be having troubles of her own, so Sookie did not want to burden her.

Which is why it was not unpleasant when Alcide showed up one night at Merlotte's. He wrapped her in a bear hug, which brought giggles of happiness from her. She squeezed him back, enjoying the human contact, even if both parties might not be human.

"I just heard you got back, sorry. I figured it would take a lot longer but then I started hearing some rumors about what happened to you. Had to come check for myself."

"As you can see, fit as a fiddle." She gestured towards herself to show him.

"Looking good as always." He said with a wink.

Of course, the entire restaurant had been watching the exchange. "Let me introduce you to my boss."

Sam was already making his way over, sizing up the burly man. Despite the fact that he was still seeing that Maenad as far as Sookie could tell, he seemed genuinely angry at a stranger for hugging Sookie.

"Alcide Herveaux, this is Sam Merlotte. Sam, Alcide."

"I know who you are." Sam said a little aggressively, and Sookie remembered Luna's comment about their community.

"Nice to officially meet you." Alcide stuck out his hand. The shake lasted longer than necessary. She could see veins standing out on both their forearms. Male posturing at its most subtle.

"We are closing up soon, if you have time to stick around."

"I'd love to." He went over to one of the bar stools and plopped down.

Sam watched him go, but grabbed Sookie's arm before she could walk away. His grip wasn't tight, just enough to keep her there. "Do you think that is a good idea? You know what he is."

"I'm sorry, Sam Merlotte. Are you trying to have a say in who I spend my time with? Cus' the scars on my back would indicate that is not a privilege either of us have..."

He dropped her arm like it was hot, looking hurt. It had sounded less harsh in her head, but she was still hurt herself. She went back to serving the last few customers left.

Sam's reaction to Alcide had caused further speculation among the shrinking population of the bar about Sookie's relationship with the rugged stranger. A few of the men who worked in construction were familiar with Alcide's surname and were impressed with the fish Sookie had landed. Almost without exception, people assumed they were sleeping together. It was odd to see that in other people's head. She had to quickly put up a barrier before people got too graphic.

"Want to come over for a bit? I got some sweet tea in the fridge." She asked as the last patron left.

"Sounds nice." He smiled, actually waving to Sam as they left.

Sookie led the way in her little yellow car, which had been sitting in her driveway when she returned home. She had half expected a note from Eric inside, but there was nothing. Still, it made much less noise than it had before, and she was fairly certain they had done something to the engine. The car had a lot more get up and go these days.

"Come on in." She said after he got out of his truck.

She flipped on lights as she went, and he followed her through to the kitchen. It was nice to have someone else there with her when she got home. It always made her sad, coming home to an empty house. It brought back how much she missed Gran. Even when her Gran had been sleeping, it had been nice knowing she was there.

"So, you decided to single-handedly take on the Fellowship of the Sun, huh?" Alcide asked while Sookie poured them some tea.

"I didn't really take them on... and to be fair, I didn't think I was alone either."

"Who was with you?" Alcide asked intrigued.

"Well, there was another human working with me. He was with one of the Dallas vampires. Only it turned out he was a traitor." It was the first time she had told someone. It felt good to get the truth out. "The Fellowship killed him in the end."

"What did the vampires do to his girl?"

"What do you mean?" Sookie asked, confused by the question.

"What happened to the she-vamp when her nest found out she had been dating the traitor."

"Oh, I didn't tell them." She said sheepishly. "The damage was done, and he was already dead."

"Damn, she's lucky. I don't know what they would have done to her, but it wouldn't have been pretty."

Sookie just nodded. She had not actually thought about that, but now she was even prouder of her decision to keep quiet. The thought of someone being punished for another's actions just seemed wrong.

"You hungry?" She asked distractedly.

"I'm fine thanks."

She nodded, but got out a plate of leftover biscuits all the same. Alcide seemed to realize she needed a moment to process because he just sat back. The biscuits were left from her family meal with Jason. Things were much better between them now but offering a home-cooked meal was still the best way to get him over to the house.

She took out some strawberry jam and a knife as well, just in case. There were napkins already on the table. Gran would have been proud.

"How'd you hear about what happened anyway?" She finally broke the silence.

"I've got some business contacts in the Dallas pack, and two of the pack heard you tell that shifter you were from Bon Temps. They thought I might have heard of you. You really stirred things up out there."

"Wait, you mean those two in the van were Werewolves?"

"Yeah, they couldn't believe they got called in to haul a human, no offense." From the way he was speaking, Sookie figured he was quoting them. "Only to have some deader snatch her at the last minute."

"Before Eric showed up, Luna had just warned me about those two." She informed him. Alcide was the only Werewolf she had met. The assumption had been they were all like him, but maybe not.

"Not all Weres are as, uh, civilized as others."

"Guess that's true no matter who you are." She looked down at the melting ice in her tea.

"Or what you are..."

Sookie knew he didn't mean her, but her own claim on humanity had been bugging her lately. His statement sounded much too close to the question Supes were always asking her.

"So, what brought you out?"

"I told you already." He had unconsciously taken a biscuit and slathered it with jam. He shoved a bite into his mouth.

She waited for a minute to let him chew. "Yeah, but you could have just called if that was all."

"That's so impersonal, and they said you had broken your leg." He looked at her a little suspiciously but didn't say anything about the short recovery time. "I actually came by here first, expecting you to be home, but when you weren't, I called Fangtasia to see if you were there."

"How'd that conversation go?" She asked with a snort. Alcide and the employees at Fangtasia were not on the best of terms.

"The woman on the other end was surprisingly helpful. She seemed almost pleased to tell me you weren't there."

That would be Pam. "Yeah, she's not my biggest fan."

"So, then I went over to Merlotte's."

"Quite a night."

"So, why isn't she your biggest fan? Seeing too much of each other?" He asked jokingly.

"Can't see how that could be it. I haven't been up there since we got back."

"You not working for Eric anymore?" He asked a little too hopefully.

"Not sure really. He hasn't told me as much, if that is the case."

"Probably for the best. Seems like you attract trouble wherever you go."

"Are you trouble?" She asked.

He raised an eyebrow as Eric so often did. It was probably meant to be flirty, but it made her a little sad.

"Things had gotten a lot better." The look on his face said he was reading into that. "I mean financially. The pay was really good."

"Oh..." The last thing she wanted was for Alcide to know she had slept with Eric, only to be dropped like a sack of potatoes. Earlier, she had enjoyed the chance to be honest with someone without fearing what might come of it, but now, she was keeping this from him. Turns everyone came with strings attached.

Talking about finances with a rich guy might be awkward, but it was better than discussing her pseudo-vampire-relationship with a werewolf. Dear Lord, her life had gotten complicated quick.

"I mean, I'm fine and everything. I guess I just wish it had lasted a little longer." The double meaning of that statement was lost on her friend.

"You could always get another job... or start gambling. Something tells me you'd be real good at it."

Sookie was smiling at a memory. "When we were kids, Jason refused to play 'Go Fish' with me."

They both laughed at the mental image of a tiny Sookie, cheating her brother out of house and home. Jason had actually suggested once that she try her hand at poker later in life, but it didn't seem right.

"Maybe I will save that for my retirement plan." She joked back.

"The world is lucky you are such a good person, Sookie. Somebody else with your abilities could do a lot of damage."

"They're lucky I had Gran to teach me right and wrong." She deflected the compliment, a little uncomfortable with his sincerity. For some reason, the comment on her character seemed a lot more personal than any she had received on her physique.

"She sounds like an amazing woman."

"Yeah, she was. She would have really liked you." Sookie said confidently. He was exactly the sort of man Adele Stackhouse would have picked for her granddaughter. But what would Gran have thought of Eric? He certainly hadn't made the best first impression.

"That's good to hear. Sounds like she knew how to pick'em." He commented with a beaming smile.

"Then again, she never met a stranger she didn't like..." It was said in so offhand a manner, he only knew she was ribbing him from the smirk that crossed her lips.

"You should really meet my sister. She'd love you. She's the only other person capable of deflating my ego like that."

"Alcide..."

"Yeah, I know. I just don't understand how long I have to wait before you no longer see yourself as the rebound."

"I know it probably doesn't make sense to you, but I need to figure out things here before I bring my mess into someone else's life. I mean, I don't even know what I am to Eric anymore."  
>He looked at her again, as if he knew there was more to that.<p>

"Once you figure things out, let me know. I don't intend to give up that easily." He leaned over and kissed her. It was not insistent or demanding, just a short promise.

"I'll let myself out." He got up and left.

Sookie just sat there, staring at his empty seat. It was not as if she had not felt anything. His lips were warm, and the scent of wood and perspiration was pleasantly manly. The kiss had been sweet, but there was no fire to it.

When Eric kissed her, the world moved. When Eric kissed her, there was fire. She could not help but respond. Sookie felt Eric's kisses all the way to her toes.

Only, Eric had not kissed her in some time, and she hated to admit that she missed him.

"Asshole..." She began cleaning up the kitchen, no longer thinking of Alcide's kiss, but of her night with Eric.

* * *

><p>"Well, aren't you just popular." Sam said sarcastically the next night at Merlotte's. He was glaring past her, towards the door.<p>

Sookie turned around to see Eric standing in the doorway of Merlotte's. He looked like some Norse god cast down among the mortals, but no matter how good he looked in his tight black sweater, she was still mad at him. And she intended to tell him so.

Of course, intentions quickly flew out the window. He crossed the room at an unnatural speed. Her lips had just begun to open with an angry comment when Eric's lips crashed against her own.

This kiss was anything but sweet. Her entire body was burning as his arms encircled her, and it did not take long before she was wrapped around him as well. At some point, he had backed her into the bar, but she had been too preoccupied to notice.

When she finally managed to pull away for a breath, he looked down at her with a mischievous grin. "I have missed that."

"Mmm..." She had meant to say yeah, but that was all that came out. He leaned down for another short kiss, happy with that response. It was a good thing he was still holding on to her because her knees had not yet recovered.

When he broke off his kiss, his face did not move away as he whispered. "I cannot read minds, but I believe the dog would like to kill me."

It took Sookie a moment to realize he meant Sam, but sure enough her boss was white knuckling the bar and staring daggers at Eric. Sookie was afraid he might pop a blood vessel if he kept it up.

"To be fair, I'm not exactly happy with you either."

"Well, I would like to see how you greet me when you are happy with me. I am not sure the denizens of this town would ever recover."

That was when Sookie realized the bad was absolutely silent, aside from the wood creaking beneath Sam's hand. No one was even gossiping about them... yet. They were all just staring at her second gorgeous male visitor in as many days, and perhaps the first vampire most of them had ever seen.

"Maybe we should go outside."

"I can think of a few other places I would like to go."

Eric allowed Sookie to push herself away from him.

"Sam, I am going to take my break." She was already heading towards the back door with Eric following her.

"I would have preferred the werewolf..." Sam said under his breath, though, of course, Eric heard him.

The vampire raised both of his eyebrows at her, but she ignored it and continued on. If he had cared, then he should have been there over the last weeks.

Once outside, Eric grabbed her again, pushing her against the side of the building, but when he leaned in for a kiss, this time she was ready. She turned her head, moving it to the side. He would have head butted the wall if he had not stopped himself.

"What is this?" He asked playfully.

"I was serious earlier. I'm not happy with you."

"And why is that?"

"Eric... it's been weeks since Texas."

"You said you needed to recover."

"Yeah, for like, a day! Not three weeks!"

He took a step away from her. His face unsure for once. "Sookie, I apologize. I see now that it must have felt like a very long time for you, but please remember I can count my age in centuries. I am not used to working on a human time table."

"You could have at least called, or just talked to me when I called you."

"Sookie, I had no calls from you."

"For the first two weeks, I called almost every day..." She said, a little self-conscious over the stalker-ish action.

"Pam." He snarled her name, and Sookie almost felt sorry for Eric's child. "I gave her my phone to regulate the Area 5 business. She must have kept it from me that you were calling."

It actually made her feel better. Between the kisses earlier and the fact that he had not been purposely avoiding her, she was quickly losing hold of her anger. "That does not excuse you."

"Sookie..." He stepped back up to her, slipping his arm around her once again. "I am sorry that you felt abandoned. It was not intentionally done. I have missed you, but there were things that needed to be taken care of."

"You missed me?" She asked stupidly. Eric looked into her eyes as he nodded. Those blue orbs willing her to believe. He looked so sincere. He had missed her. Sookie could very well have melted at that thought.

"I needed to work some things out for your own safety. Otherwise, I would not have left you alone. Trust me." His eyes were sparkling wickedly again. That look almost made her forget what he had said.

"My safety?"

"It is nothing now. I have taken care of it." He was leaning in again, but her resolve was back.

"Eric... what about my safety."

"Your stubbornness is astounding." His usual smirk was back.

"It's a special gift. Now, stop stalling." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, between the two of them.

"It was the Queen. News travelled quickly of what happened in Texas. She was... less than pleased with my keeping you from her."

"Oh." She had not even thought about that fact. Obviously, she knew there was someone over Eric. It was why he and Godric had gone to New Orleans. After her encounter with Stan, perhaps she should have realized something like this might come up, but she hadn't. It left her feeling blindsided.

"Sookie, it is alright." She had not realized her breathing had spiked until he tightened his arms around her. "I explained to her that you were mine. She cannot ignore that. It would be a political disaster."

She didn't know why, but she felt like he was rationalizing. "Eric..."

"Sookie, whether you are ready to admit it yet or not... you are mine." He watched her intently as he lowered his head towards her slowly, daring her to stop him. She was still staring into his eyes when their lips met.

Her eyes closed involuntarily as she savored the tingle that coursed through her body. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be Eric's after all.

* * *

><p>This is really tough for me because I love this as the ending for this first book, but I had originally intended to finish the whole second book. I think I will end it here with an epilogue for the solving of Lafayette's murder.<p>

**Thank you all soooo much for reading and reviewing! I still plan to write a sequel, but I need to do some re-reading first. The next book will take a fairly drastic turn from canon with a few elements from the books. I hope you all can be patient while I figure it out!**


	25. Epilogueish

Here's what happened to finish out book two… still chipping away at the plot changes for my next fic.

* * *

><p>Life was still complicated but in a much better way. After an order from Eric, Pam admitted she had been hoping the return of Godric would make him spend less time with Sookie. Apparently, she saw the waitress as a weak spot in Eric's armor who had only caused trouble for him so far. Sookie wanted to remind Pam that she had helped save her grandpa or whatever the vampire equivalent was. It just hadn't seemed like the right time.<p>

Sookie knew that Pam had suffered some sort of punishment for her actions, but neither vampire had informed her of what it was. And Sookie realized she did not want to know. The whole maker-child relationship still did not really make sense to her, but she knew it was probably one of those things that just needed to be accepted. They had been living this way for decades, and if things were going to work, she needed to choose her battles wisely.

Her shifts at Merlotte's were down to one a week with her resumed work for Eric. Sam was still pretty angry over her new fangbanger status. Eventually, her boss would move past it, but until that time, she was avoiding him. Which wasn't hard to do when she only saw him once a week, and he rarely spoke to her beyond taking beer orders. In her ample free time, she began hanging out more at Fangtasia. Bon Temps was already full of rumors about where she went at night anyway. Things had definitely changed for no longer made eyes at her, no vampires attempted to glamour her, and most of the usual patrons treated her with respect, even if it was tinged with envy. After all, who else got to share a booth with Eric and Godric.

The ancient vampire had become quite the tourist attraction. Unlike his aloof counterparts, Godric was incredibly approachable and would even hold conversations with inquisitive visitors. As much as the tourists loved him, the regulars were no longer quite as enamored. Most of the patrons had already given it a go. They remained hopefully apathetic, as he had turned down every offer of food or sex from every man and woman who had come up. Sookie knew that Eric required very little blood for sustenance partly because of his age, so it stood to reason that Godric probably needed even less. Of course, Sookie knew the real reason the regulars no longer came to Godric. Eric turned them down as well, but he made a spectacle of it. For a moment, they were the center of attention even if they were being embarrassed. A lot of them got off on it. However, Godric was so quiet and polite about it that most of them felt bad for offering. It was a disappointment on all counts.

Godric definitely enjoyed being reunited with Eric. In fact, Sookie made sure they got to spend time together on Eric's few nights off. It took away from their time together, but it was worth it. After all, Godric did not quite fit in at Fangtasia, so they needed time when Eric did not have to play the peacock.

Godric seemed to prefer the company of regular folk. He spent a fair bit in Bon Temps. He had told Sookie that she was wise beyond her years which was a serious compliment from a guy whose birth date included the letters BC.

One night, he had come to Merlotte's while Sookie was working. It had become a habit. Sam had objected at first, but the calm vampire had a way of winning people over. It turned out that Shifters were not immune to his charm. The waitress sometimes wondered if Godric was there to watch over her when Eric could not, but he always seemed so relaxed, she began to think he might just enjoy her company.

It was on such a night that she had a rather disturbing conversation.

"Hey, Sookie." Mike Spencer, the funeral home director called her attention.

"What can I do for ya, Mr. Spencer?"

"Call me Mike for starts." He said with a cheesy grin. She returned the look with her own slightly off smile. "Some of us are getting together at Jan Fowler's boat house tomorrow night and thought you might like to join us."

The thoughts attached to that proposition took her completely by surprise and not in a good way. Sookie felt guilty for not remembering, but she had been so wrapped up with Eric, Jason was really her only lifeline to Bon Temps anymore besides what she heard in people's heads.

"Who's 'some of us'?" She asked, managing not to let her disgust into her voice.

"Oh, just some people from town. Some of your friends actually. Eggs, Tara, Portia may join us. Even the Hardaways will be there."

"Oh, is there a special occasion?" She found it better not to give people reasons to think she could read minds. Playing dumb had worked really well for her so far.

"Not really, but things can get pretty wild when we get together." He actually winked at her. "We thought you would fit in well."

Translation: We thought since you do a vampire, you'll do anyone.

Between Alcide, Eric and now Godric dropping in for a public visit, rumors had been flying around town about Sookie's extra curricular activities. Of course, they were all wrong as she was a one vampire woman, but she could not quite blame them. Sookie was not one to share details from her personal life with the general public, and the appearance of Godric did not make it very evident that she was... well, dating was probably not the right word. Seeing Eric? It all sounded kind of silly.

Unfortunately, being considered a flagrant fangbanger was much more exciting to discuss, but she had not thought it would get her invited to a sex club.

"You could even bring a friend if you like." Mike was looking at Godric with a level of interest that made her skin crawl.

"Thanks for the invite." She managed an only half crazy smile before she turned away.

Sam shot her a questioning look but did not come over after she shook her head in response. The old Sam would not have left it alone. Sookie kind of missed that now. After being taken by surprise with Mike's secret life, she needed someone to act normal... like a shifter.

She went to the back for a minute, and Godric followed her. With her life, a vampire would do just fine for normal.

"Sookie, is everything alright?"

"I think we just got invited to an orgy."

"And you find this disagreeable." It was a statement, but she nodded all the same.

"Would you like for me to give him our regrets?" He seemed to be asking seriously, so she decided to answer him as such.

"I don't know." Which was the whole reason she was upset. Sookie was very seriously considering attending.

"Unless the context of these gatherings have changed, I must admit I do not believe I would like to accompany you. Please do not misunderstand," He sounded like a typical male for once who may have inadvertently called a woman fat as he back-tracked, "you are a very attractive young woman, and I do enjoy spending time with you."

Sookie suddenly felt like one of the Fangtasia clients that Godric was perpetually turning down. She blushed as she realized that he had misinterpreted her hesitation over going or not. Her sympathy for them had just gone up a notch.

"Oh, Godric, no... I mean, you're a really nice guy too and all, but I was just thinking about going to maybe see if I could find out anything about a friend who was killed a while back. He used to talk about going to those things, but I never knew who with." She thought he might have looked relieved, but even after weeks of spending time with him, she found him hard to read.

"Yes, very good. If you require a chaperone, I will go with you, but it is probably better that I not. I do not believe that Eric would have been very pleased with my accompanying you."

Sookie actually broke into a real smile at that thought. "Yeah, you're probably right."

He looked at her seriously for a moment as if choosing his next words. "I would caution you against attendence. From what I know of you, that is not a place in which you belong. I know how far you are willing to go in service of a friend, but would this friend want you to lose part of yourself in the process?"

That had not occurred to her before. Would Lafayette have wanted her there? Sure, he had told her plenty of stories about his exploits, but he also seemed to understand how things were for her. Their strangeness in this plain town had banded them together, and they had each other's backs. But that was the problem... she had let him down.

"Thanks Godric. I will definitely think about it."

"Should I mention this to my son?"

"I'll talk to him about when I get home." She promised. They had sort of an unspoken rule about her relationship with Eric. Sookie did not ask for advice, and Godric did not interfere.

"Very well. I will return to Fangtasia for the remainder of the evening."

On a whim, she reached out and hugged the vampire, maybe she was still enjoying his protective vibe from earlier. He returned the gesture slowly as if not to startle her.

"Thanks again."

"You are a most intriguing woman, Miss Stackhouse."

"I do my best."

He graced her with a rare smile before he left.

* * *

><p>That night, Sookie called Eric when she got back to her house just as promised. Godric had kept up his end of the bargain, and Eric was clueless. She knew he would. And, of course, he was right about Eric as well.<p>

"Sookie, I have been to orgies before. They are not for you."

"I need to do this for Lafayette… and for Andy. He might not be the greatest guy all the time, but he ain't a murder either." She had realized that as she debated the pros and cons on her way home.

"You are not going." This had become kind of an issue between them. His need to be protective of her often caused him to be bossy.

"For someone who attends sex parties, you sure are possessive."

"Would you prefer we have other sexual partners?" He asked in an aggravatingly casual voice. Sookie knew he was trying to get a rise out of her, prove his own point about how she was not the orgy type of person, but knowing did not lessen her anger at the mental image of Eric with another woman.

"You know that is not what I want! I need you there because I don't wanna have sex with any of those people!" She paused for a second. "And you'd better not either!" Exclusivity was another touchy subject. He had not been with anyone else that she knew of since Texas, and he needed so little blood that she doubted he took any from others, though she had not had the guts to ask yet. Still, it was hard to be at Fangtasia and watch men and women both throwing themselves at Eric.

"Sookie, there has to be another way." Eric had not taken the bait like she had. He usually didn't, which often kept their debates from spiraling out of control.

"Well, if there is, I would love to hear it, but I have a feeling the best way to get answers is to see inside their heads while they are.. you know… thinking about things."

"If all you need to do is see inside their heads, then we only need to be there, not necessarily attend."

"That doesn't make any damn sense."

"If it is an orgy, then they will be 'thinking about things' whether you are in the room with them or not." She could practically hear the smile as he repeated her words. "Your skills are to the point that all you require is proximity in order to hear. I can get you close to the party without having to attend."

She was silent as the idea processed. "You're amazing." She finally said. The party was a necessary evil in her opinion, so the more removed from it she was, the better.

"I do enjoy hearing that, though I prefer it under different circumstances."

"I prefer saying it under differrent circumstances. Maybe if you did not work so much, you would get to hear it more often. You could always retire."

"You and I both know that would not be in our best interest."

"No, I don't know, not really." As happy as she was, there sure were several points of contention in the relationship. All she had managed to gather so far about Eric's meeting with the Queen of Louisiana was that his political position was protecting her somehow. However, she might be called in for work if it was a matter of State security. No calls had come in so far, but she was not looking forward to the day one did.

Godric was respecting Eric's decision not to tell her. Not that she blamed him, Eric was his son, and it fit in with his whole not inferring mantra. In this instance, she wished he would make an exception, but she admired his consistency. In the end, it still killed the previously playful mood of the conversation.

"I thought you should know, Godric may be called back to Texas. Apparently, those involved in your escape are demanding some serious recompense for their troubles."

"Luna didn't mention anything to me about it."

"I believe it is actually a certain pack."

Sookie thought about Alcide and his contacts, but she had not heard from him since she told him about Eric. It had not been a fun conversation. Harsh words had been exchanged and part of her was still angry at him. Part of her missed him. He was so easy to be around. However, asking him to help vampires against his own was probably not the best way to mend the relationship. Since he still owed Eric a favor, it was better she just keep her mouth shut.

"Well, I hope it all works."

"As do I." There was a pause on his end. "Sookie, I have Stan calling. I am sorry, but I will see you tomorrow."

"See you then." He hung up, but it was still a much better good-bye than she used to get. It was all about baby steps.

Sookie was beginning to feel like a spy. It seemed she was all about the covert missions these days. Then again, considering how her last infiltration had gone, it was probably a good thing she would be safely removed from the situation this time.

"Are we robbing a bank?" Eric asked when he arrived in his sporty little red car.

It made her blush with embarrassment. It had taken Sookie a long time to finally come up with an outfit. Unlike the rest of Bon Temps, she did not really own camo, but she knew it would be dark. A long sleeve black shirt and long black pants had become her new espionage ensemble, though her once again blonde hair kind of ruined the effect. Luckily, she had abandoned the thought of a black mask or cap. Eric probably would have been laughing outright over that.

"You're wearing black too." The telepath pointed out.

Eric only raised his eyebrows in response. She understood what he meant. He always wore black, and there was not much that could camouflage his beautifully pale skin in that t-shirt. The t-shirt that probably cost more than her entire outfit.

"Are you ready?" He asked finally.

"As I'm gonna be."

"We will drive over close, then take the rest of the way on foot."

"Sounds good I guess." She had put a fair bit of planning into her outfit, but not so much into the logistics of the evening.

"I am glad you did not dye your hair this time." He said, trying to keep a serious face.

"This way we match."

She climbed into his car as he practically refused to ride in hers. The drive did not take long with the way Eric sped along the small country roads. Before too much time had passed, they were sneaking through the woods towards the lake house. Well, Eric was sneaking, Sookie was stumbling and attempting not to fall over any hidden stumps.

"Would you like me to carry you?"

Her battered legs cried yes, but it was her pride that spoke. "No thanks, I'm not some city girl who doesn't know a swamp from a forest you know."

"Oh yes, I am very aware."

She wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she stumbled in to some critter's hole when she was about to make him explain. After that, Sookie decided to concentrate on walking instead of talking.

"It has been some time since I was alone in the woods with a young maiden." Eric had stopped, which meant they must be close, but she could tell by his tone he was not thinking about the job at hand.

"Could you try to focus? Besides, I'm not much of a maiden these days." She came up next to him.

She could tell he was grinning that smug smile in the moonlight. "I suppose I can be blamed for that, but we can always just pretend." He had his arm around her in a second, and she watched his fangs as they snapped down in the moonlight.

"Eric, stop it." She said seriously, though the whole rest of her body protested her reluctance.

"Yes, that is what you would say, though you would not know my name."

"Seriously, quit it." She tried to push against him.

"Exactly." Any other person, and she would have been scared or at least annoyed, but the way he smiled at her, his pale skin illuminated by the moon, made her forget why she was there.

"Eric…" She tried to be stern, but it was much too breathy.

"Yes, my young maiden." His fangs scraped her skin as he spoke into the nape of her neck. It was one of her favorite sensation… at least her favorite that did not require the removal of clothes.

"That's not fair, and you know it."

"Yes, I do know." His voice was like velvet.

She stiffened in his arms, and he immediately stepped back, realizing something was wrong. "You could not have picked a worse setting."

As if her own less than pure thoughts had gotten on the same wavelength as those in the house, she was now picking up their minds loud and clear. Several of the occupants happened to be very good "senders". It worked well for her purposes, but it also reminded her that this was not going to be an enjoyable evening.

"Maybe some other time." He probably meant it, but he was giving her space for now, which she appreciated. It was always easier to hear when she was not touching him, but she would have preferred his silence to this.

Sookie was already very glad that she was not actually at the party. Mike was naked and as oily on the outside as his mind always felt. Cleo was sitting next to him just as shiny and almost as bare. They were watching each other with an empty kind of lust.

She tried to skip over Tara who was uncomfortable with Eggs' interest in the men of the group, but it was hard to shield against one person while spying on a group. It was a small comfort to know that her friend did not really want to be there, but she was sad to know that things were worse between Tara and Eggs than she had thought.

Mike must have told everyone that she would be attending with Godric because several attendees were thinking about one or the other of them. It was definitely not something she wanted them to be thinking about, but it was, unfortunately, what she needed them to think about. She was so lost in their thoughts, she did not realize Eric had moved behind until his arms were around her once again. The stillness of his body made her notice that her own body was shaking and not from the cold.

"Sookie, it is alright. They can't see you. You are safe here with me." His strong arms held her as if not to let anything bad through to her.

She leaned back onto his hard frame. It made her job a little more difficult, but it also helped her feel more detached from their thoughts. It was now more like watching a really bad movie instead of being a part of it all.

"Thank you." Gratitude weighed heavily in the whispered words.

Eggs had begun to picture Godric's face, distorted by bad recollection and alcohol, but still recognizable. Godric's presence among the humans and general good nature made Eggs believe he would be submissive. That thought pleased him too much for comfort. Sookie had always been pretty open-minded. What consenting adults did behind closed doors was their own business, but watching her friend being misused by this man's imagination made her sick. It was a good thing Eric could not see it as well because he would not have been happy with this picture of his maker.

A flicker of a memory about Lafayette made Sookie remain in Eggs' thoughts when she was going to move on. Her friend was protesting their treatment of him. It seemed as if he had not wanted to be as submissive as they wanted him to be. In the woods, she closed her eyes as if that would cut off the vision.

Mike may have been fondling Cleo, but his mind was not far off from Eggs'. His thoughts went deeper to Lafayette laying dead on the ground with Tom Hardaway and Eggs standing with him. The thrill that gave him made her want to vomit, but she needed to make sure it was them first. Luckily, Mike obliged. She watched as he began beating Lafayette while Tom sat on his chest holding him down until he stopped breathing.

That was when she finally put up her shields, turning into Eric's waiting chest. His shirt quickly became cool with her silent tears. No one deserved that, but especially not Lafayette. At least he was brave enough to let everyone who he was.

"They did it. They actually killed him." Of course, she knew it had been murder all along, but some small doubt that people she had known her entire life could do something like that had remained. Seeing it in their minds, it was still hard to swallow.

"Sookie, I do not know what to do for you." He never liked it when she leaked. "I want to help you, but you have told me to allow humans to take care of their own justice."

She looked up at him, realizing what he was offering, and it was hard. Had he come to her first with his plan to kill Rene, would she have allowed him? "They are guilty. We should let the police handle it."

"You have no proof." He reminded her patiently. "What you see does not matter If you have nothing to show to the authorities."

He was right, but it took a moment to sink in. She stared at him blankly as she processed. All of this could not have been for nothing. She knew she could not ask him to avenge her friend without opening a box she would not be able to shut again. Lafayette deserved real justice. Could she ask him to glamour Mike as he had done with Rene? If that was all the involvement they had, was that too much? She never got a chance to answer that question for herself.

"Y'all come outa there right now, or I'm comin' in after ya." A very drunk Andy fired a warning shot into the air to accentuate his point.

"That dumb shit…" Her grandma would have paled at the language, but there was no other real way to describe him at that moment.

Eric and Sookie had been in the woods that ran along the side of the lake house and the gravel road. Sookie came out behind the intoxicated cop as she trudged out of the woods with Eric close behind her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked the slurring detective.

"Sookie? Good, I need you to tell me what these people are thinking." Luckily, no one had heard that as they were all at least smart enough to not walk out while Andy was using his firearm, but she could see them gathering at the windows.

"What the hell do you think I am doing here, Andy?" Eric was somewhere behind her, but he seemed content to let her to this on her own.

Andy looked at her outfit as if he had expected her to be in lingerie. That was the last way she would want the man to see her.

"Well, then come help me." He seemed angry that she had confused him.

"I'm not going to let you just shoot somebody, Andy. Then you'd be as guilty as half the town thinks you are."

That one took him a long time to figure out. He had obviously not thought this through while getting drunk off his ass. Once her logic had made it through his alcohol addled brain, he made an attempt at sobering up, which was really just him straightening out his stained shirt and running his hand through his crazy hair.

"I wan't gonna shoot nobody."

"Accidents happen all the time, now put down the gun so we can talk about what happened. We need to make sure that we do this right so the real man who did this gets put in jail instead of you."

"What is this?" A chill ran down Sookie's spine, and she instinctively backed up until she hit Eric. "Who is trying to dissuade this man from paying me tribute?"

The maenad materialized out of the woods opposite them, a familiar collie at her side. He seemed happy to see her, but considering they came from the woods together and the maenad was without even a fig leaf to cover her, he could have just been in a generally good mood. Sookie was not quite so excited to see Sam or, more importantly, his girlfriend.

Eric slowly eased her behind himself as if afraid to make any sudden movements. The maenad was circling Andy, who was looking at her like she was Miss Louisiana in the bathing suit contest. Sookie just didn't see it, but she had never been a big fan of the psychiatric ward look.

Maybe she was not the only telepath because the maenad's attention suddenly snapped towards her. The crazed immortal cocked her head at the waitress who was peeking around her boulder of a vampire.

"My messenger! So good to see you alive and in good health!" She seemed genuinely pleased. "We skipped introductions last time. My name is Callisto; I believe you know my companion."

"Yes, ma'am." Better to be polite to the creature Eric so obviously feared. He would not even look her in the eyes, though she was now studying him. The light in the immortal's eyes did not leave Sookie feeling too polite.

"So much beauty wasted…"

The woman sighed dramatically. Eric's hand shot out over Sookie's mouth before she could even think of something to say. The telepath watched him shake his head silently, locking eyes with her. It was true, she might have said something stupid, but she gave him stare for stare. She wanted him to know she resented the implication.

The maenad was looking at Sookie again, amused by the display. "It would seem you are neither drunk nor lustful. At least, not like those inside." The maenad looked meaningfully between Sookie and Eric. Was that lust, really? Any woman could see that he was almost painfully gorgeous, but surely there was more than simple desire between them. These questions had plagued her since they began sleeping together again, and this woman-thing was not helping the situation as she stared down the forcibly silent Sookie.

The naked creature whipped around just as suddenly as she had appeared towards Andy. Sookie was left blinking at the spot she had previously occupied. Eric removed his hand after a moment, and she glared at his back as he watched the maenad.

"My dear," Callisto was talking to an equally stunned Andy. "Let us go inside and speak with my worshippers.

The crowd had gathered at the door, practically falling over each other to see Callisto, though Sookie couldn't see Tara.

"I just wanna know which of 'em killed the cook."

Callisto had her arm around Andy's waist and was leading him up towards the others who were already making way for her. "Yes, yes, we will find that out for you my stalwart."

She paused when they reached the steps to the porch. "And don't worry, you handsome corpse, I will be moving on after this night."

Sookie heard Sam whine, and Callisto turned to him. "We have had some good times together in the woods, but there are others who call my name."

She spared him a smile before continuing on her way inside. As the door shut behind her, Sookie felt as though some spell had been broken. She inhaled deeply the surprisingly chilled night air.

Sam, still in collie form came over and began nudging her leg as if to push her away.

"I know we need to get her out of here, dog." Eric said as if Sam had spoken out loud.

"Tara is still in there." Sookie looked between the vampire and the dog who were dumb enough to think she was leaving without her friend. "I am not leaving her alone with that psycho."

"Sookie, she is a very powerful being. You do not get to be my age by interfering with immortals, and I would like to see you alive for quite some time. One close call is enough."

Sookie could swear her back was hurting as he reminded her of their last encounter. "Well, I would like to see Tara alive."

"Stop being so damn stubborn." Sam actually cussed at her, and she turned to a very naked man. It was difficult not to appreciate his well built frame. Eric still won hands down, but there was something much more attainable about Sam's good looks. They did not leave you feeling quite so inferior. But she quickly covered her eyes. After all, Eric was right behind her. "I'll go see if I can help Tara, but there ain't nothing you can do."

"The shifter is right." Eric growled, obviously not taken with Sam's wild handsomeness. "Godric will be here soon to help with whatever must be done."

That did not sound good, and when had he talked to Godric? Sookie had missed that call. She would have asked for details, especially considering Godric was supposed to be in Texas, but something was changing in the air that distracted her.

"Something's wrong." She barely got out the words before she was overcome. It was fear. Not her own, but that of those in the house compounded by those around them and amplified by the maenad's presence.

Sookie panicked and tried to throw up her strongest shield, but the raw emotion crashed through it like it was tissue paper. Sookie went rigid as the unnatural terror overwhelmed her, but luckily Eric caught her before she could hit the ground. However, even contact with the vampire did nothing to lessen the connection. Sam went running towards the house, but it was all Sookie could do not to fill the air with screams.

Eric did not try to explain or apologize as he disobeyed her wishes. He simply tucked her into his chest and lept off into the night sky. Normally, she would have been angry at him or scared of the flight, but her mind had no more room for emotions as it held so many others'. She was never sure if they just flew out of range or the lake, or if they all died while she flew, but she did know that just as suddenly as it all hit her, it was gone. And she was left with nothing. For the first time ever, Sookie was glad she passed out.

Later, she would find out that everyone in there had indeed died besides Tara and Andy. It was considered one of the worst tragedies in Bon Temps history. No one really wanted to know what those in attendance had been doing their, or why they had been unable to notice the building was on fire. Luckily, there was no evidence of foul play, so no real need to investigate. Especially after it was discovered that at least one of those in attendance was responsible for Lafayette's death. The trunk of Mike's car had still been bloody from transporting the body. Everyone was still shaken up from Rene and just wanted to sweep it all under the rug.

This gave Tara a good out when she was not as distraught as people expected when the police told her that Eggs was among the dead. She had admitted they were having marital problems, so she was not surprised when he did not come home but had thought he was at a late night poker game. Sookie had to wonder what Eric or Godric had glamoured her to believe because it may have helped saved her from going crazy with loss.

When she had finally woken up, she was amazed to find Eric lying next to her.

"I didn't expect you to still be here." She rolled into him.

"Still? You have been asleep an entire day. Godric stayed as I was unable to be here when the sun went down, but he said you were still sleeping when he woke. It is almost 10 at night now."

"Oh…"

"He knew you had a trying night, so he thought it was better to let you sleep." The knowledge that Godric had been there to watch over her in Eric's absence was incredibly comforting.

"Thank you for doing that."

"I was worried about you. We both were. You are very important to me you know."

"You're important to me too, Eric." It wasn't quite 'I love you,' but it left her with a glowing feeling all the same.

"Also, thanks for not letting me go in there. You were right." She did not like admitting it, but she knew it was true. "It was bad enough without having to face them."

"Believe it or not, I know you fairly well."

"Oh, I believe it." She said sincerely, pausing to look up at him. "So you should know what I want to do now."

"I think I have an idea." His eyes bored into hers as he rolled over on top of her.

"Eric, that is what you want to do."

"So, you do not?" His finger traced a line of fire on her neck.

"Well, it isn't that I don't want to, but I really want to take a shower."

"I would have preferred the woods, but we have not tried the shower yet."

He kissed her and rolled over, getting off the bed in a fluid motion. His clothes started to come off, leaving a trail of items towards the bathroom until his perfect butt disappeared through her door. Sookie had a feeling she was about to take the best shower of her life.

* * *

><p>I know, I am a big tease... if you can't stand being left with that, go read the shower scene in book 4<p> 


	26. Chapter 26

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I made a quick start to the sequel for this story, so I would love for you all to read "Instructions Not Included"


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